Frozen Secret
by PhoenixSong4232
Summary: Going along with her father's plan to attend Ryouta High, Momo disguises herself as a boy in order to be allowed in. She may have found herself biting off a little more than she can chew however, especially when it comes to her silver haired roommate...
1. Ryouta High

**A/N: Hey everyone. So I basically came up with his idea while sitting in my room and watching HitsuHina videos on You Tube. Believe it or not I do have a life. Anyway I'm still figuring this out as far as plot goes but I hope you enjoy. Please do me the favor of reviewing with your thoughts, suggestions, or just comments in general. I would really appreciate it! Thank you!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach. **

…………

Momo Hinamori stared up at the looming gray building before her, heart in her throat, her fingers clenched tightly around the single duffel bag containing whatever she'd been able to fit inside from home. The poor bag was filled to bursting and she hoped that it wouldn't explode all over the neatly trimmed lawn she now found herself standing on. For what had to be the thousandth time in the past five minutes she cursed her crazy parents for sending her here and ultimately getting her wrapped up in this mess.

'Here' was Ryouta High School for the Gifted, a place she had managed to get into because of her large brain and ability to tear up any soccer field she stepped foot on. Her father had mentioned the place to her earlier that year, showing her pictures of the building and the beautiful campus it was located on in order to peak her interest. After agreeing to give the school a try he had immediately filled out an application for her and sent it in, receiving her letter of acceptance in the mail about a week later.

The whole thing had been a relatively easy process, or so she had originally thought. There was however, one tiny detail her father had neglected to tell her. Ryouta was a high school for the gifted and talented, that much was certain, however it was a school for the gifted and talented of the male gender. Yes, Ryouta was strictly a boy's only education center.

Momo had freaked upon hearing this, demanding that her father withdraw her acceptance immediately. Unfortunately for her, the man had claimed that this would be a great learning experience and that she should go through with it anyway. 'You won't find a better education anywhere else!' he had told her. Desperate Momo had gone to her mother, hoping the woman would immediately see the maddness in her father's plan and demand Momo's immediate withdrawl. Yet fate was against her as the plan backfired, her mother not only agreeing with her father's scheme, but also choosing to support it in full. 'Think of all the dashing young men you'll meet Momo! You'll have a boyfriend before you know it! Besides everything is already paid and accounted for.' she'd said.

So here she was, duffel bag and all, standing awkwardly in front of Ryouta's main building. Boyish shaggy haircut? Check. Letter of acceptance? Check. Nerves? Check. Taking a deep breath she took three steps towards the building, knowing there was no way she could accomplish anything by doing nothing.

She was a week late to the beginning of term and would have to get all of her makeup work from her teachers before actually attending classes. Because of this she would need to make sure to find a quiet place in which to get all her studying and extra work done once she found the time.

According to Ryouta's informational packet, soccer try outs would be held the following week and she was more than a little nervous regarding this certain detail. Being a girl she was bound to be slower and not as coordinated as the rest of the boys and because of this her chances of actually making the team looked slim. Oh well, she would do her best. Shifting the weight of her duffel bag into her left hand she used her right to open the glass doors admitting her entrance to Ryouta's welcome center.

The building was very high and well furbished and she could tell by the smell and sleek interior that it was fairly recently built. A desk was set up across from the doors with a large banner that read: 'Welcome to Ryouta' hanging above it. A hallway disappeared further into the building on the desk's right and the faint sound of classical music playing from one of the offices could be heard from somewhere deeper inside. A tall blonde boy with bangs falling across one of his eyes was slouching behind the desk, his hand propping up his chin, a bored expression on his face. Steeling herself Momo swallowed her fear and walked up to him, clearing her throat and reminding herself to drop her voice a couple of octaves.

"Hi," she said as young man lazily looked her way. "Um I'm new and was told to come here to receive my class schedule and housing information." The boy blinked and nodded, immediately straightening up and giving her a kind smile.

"Sure, no problem. Name?" he asked.

"Mo-er- Masaki Hinamori," Momo stuttered, glad she'd caught the near slip up. The boy nodded.

"Alright just a second, let me find your folder…" She heard the sound of a drawer being opened followed by the shifting of papers before the blonde made a satisfied 'ah-ha' sound and yanked a manila envelope from the file. "Here we go." Opening the folder he took three slips of paper from it and laid them out for her to see, pointing to the first one. "This is your class schedule; the name of the class is first followed by what teacher you have and then the building you're in," he said to her, his eyes roving over the names listed there. "Ouch Kurotsuchi for science huh? Good luck with that one," he muttered. Momo blinked.

"Is that bad?" she inquired, remembering to change her voice at the last second. The boy looked up.

"He's really strict and more than a little bit strange. Just don't do anything to attract his attention and you'll be fine," he answered her. Momo nodded.

"Thanks for the tip," she told him gratefully. The boy smiled and nodded.

"No problem. My name's Izuru Kira by the way. Welcome to Ryouta," he told her. The girl's grin widened.

"Thanks!" she replied. Kira nodded.

"Back to business then… This second sheet is your rooming information. Looks like you're in dorm 2! Great that's my dorm!" he said excitedly. Momo nodded, not really sure how she was supposed to respond. "That's awesome; it's a good dorm to be in don't worry. Let see who your roommate is…oh." Momo blinked, not liking the way he had suddenly stopped talking.

"What do you mean 'oh'?" she asked nervously. Kira looked back up at her, a weak smile on his face.

"Oh uh nothing. You're just rooming with Hitsugaya that's all…bound to be interesting," he muttered, almost as an after thought. The girl frowned, still not liking Kira's sudden change in tone.

"Is there something wrong with this Hitsugaya person?" she asked, almost not wanting to hear the answer. Kira rapidly shook his head.

"Toshiro Hitsugaya? Oh no, there's nothing wrong with him. He's a freaking genius…" he answered bluntly, pressing on after a glance at Hinamori's blank expression. "The kid has everything going for him, smart, good looks, an amazing soccer player…he's got it all," he stated. Momo's frown deepened as she still didn't see the problem.

"So what's the issue?" she asked. Kira laughed.

"He's just a really hard person to talk to. Super cold that one. I dunno he's pretty good friends with some of the boys on the floor even if he doesn't act like it. Well anyway you'll be fine, he's decent enough. He probably won't be happy about finally having to share a room though," he remarked.

"Share…?" Momo trailed off, feeling rather stupid.

"He got a double to himself for the past year since there were an odd number of students on the floor. Now that you're here though he'll just have to deal with it," Kira explained. Momo nodded slowly.

"Oh, I see," she answered. The boy turned to the last sheet.

"And this is just a list of all the current events going on around Ryouta. It should have all the try out times for athletics as well as any fun out of school activities coming up. Take a look at it once you get situated," he said to her. Momo nodded and took the folder that he handed her, a smile on her face.

"Thanks very much," she said to him. He nodded.

"Not a problem. Let me know if you have any questions. I'm working here until around eight but after that I should be in my dorm. It's number 205, drop by any time," he said. Momo nodded before waving and heading out the door, taking a right down the path to where her map said her dorm should be.

It was an absolutely beautiful day out. The sky was a crystalline blue, marshmallow white clouds dotted here and there across its cobalt surface while a pleasant breeze had picked up, cooling down the otherwise blistering hot afternoon. Students were walking from place to place, some moving in large packs while others walked in groups of two or three. They were all boys, naturally, and she couldn't help but notice more than a handful of them were rather attractive. Could she really survive here for as long as she planned to? Shaking those nerve wracking thoughts from her mind she continued forward, glancing around her for the dorm that was supposed to be somewhere around here.

"Look out!" she heard the shout from somewhere to her left and turned in time to be nailed in the face by a black and white soccer ball that had to have been going 120 mph at least. Momo felt herself flying backwards before the ground rose up to meet her and she hit with a loud thud. Her duffel bag flew out of her hand and landed a couple of feet away while the manila folder flew the other direction, scattering papers every which way.

"Oh crap, are you okay?!" she heard a voice call from some distance away. Ignoring it she sat up dizzily and immediately felt something wet trickle from her nose and drip onto her pant leg. With a sinking feeling she realized it was blood. Hearing running footsteps she glanced up to see three guys hurrying towards her, all three of them very tall and athletic in appearance. Getting shakily to her feet she immediately went to her duffle bag, thanking every god she knew for preventing it from busting open. She would have been out of there within the hour. Turning around she tried to find the manila envelope only to find that the pleasant breeze had turned not so pleasant and blown it and its contents away somewhere.

"Oh no…" she murmured, raising a hand to her throbbing nose.

"Hey! Hey you! Are you alright?" the pounding footsteps stopped and she turned to see the three boys looking down at her, identical expressions of concern on each of their faces. The one who had spoken was an attractive looking young man with bright orange hair and brown eyes, the soccer ball now safely tucked under his arm. The second was another very tall guy with bright red hair pulled back in a pony tail, tattoos on his face and arms, his dark eyes wide and guilty looking. The last was slightly shorter than the others but only by an inch or two. His head was completely shaved, his eyes dark, and he seemed to be doing his best to hold back gales of laughter.

"Yeah I'm okay," she answered, blinking to try and keep her dizziness at bay.

"Sorry about that," the red head said apologetically. Momo shook her head and did her best to smile.

"It's really alright, don't worry about it," she replied, tearing her eyes away from the three and instead looking around for any sign of her missing folder. Baldy took a few steps forward, fixing her with a curious look.

"You don't look familiar. Who are you short stuff?" he asked, his eyes narrowing. Momo looked up at him, more than a little irked at this new nick name.

"My name's Masaki Hinamori. I'm new," she stated bluntly. The orange head nodded, a slight smirk on his face.

"Yeah we can see that. I'm Ichigo Kurosaki, this Renji Abarai and Ikkaku Madarame. Anything we can help you with?" he asked, obviously taking in her slightly lost expression. Momo hesitated, not sure whether or not to bother these guys with directions. Now that she'd lost her schedule and dorm information she wasn't exactly sure what she should do and she didn't want to go back to the welcome center and bother Kira again. Not even five minutes had passed since she'd left and already all her information had gone missing.

"Um actually my class schedule and dorm info blew away so I'm not exactly sure where I'm supposed to be headed. According to Kira I'm in Dorm 2 but I don't remem…"

"Dorm 2? So are we! Guess we'll be seeing a lot more of each other from now on," Renji commented, a grin splitting across his face. "It's that building over there." He proceeded to point to a large three story building not far from where they stood that looked every bit as spiffy as the welcome center had.

"Oh, thank you," Momo said to him, smiling up at the taller boy. Ikkaku scowled.

"You're sure the polite one aren't you? Geez you talk like a girl," he said to her, mouth splitting into a grin. Momo blanched, wondering if she was already found out.

"Shut up Ikkaku," Ichigo said, whacking the other boy in the arm. "Once you've got your head out of your ass you should go to the welcome center with him and get his back up files from Kira. Make yourself useful for once." Ikkaku glared at him, his eyes narrowing.

"Why the hell does it have to be me? Renji's the one that decked him with the ball in the first place," he countered. Momo looked from one bickering boy to the other and cautiously took a couple steps back.

"U-um, its okay really. I can get it myself. Thanks for your help though," she stammered, whirling around and scampering off in the direction of the welcome center. The boys watched her leave, Renji shooting an accusing look in Ikkaku's direction.

"I'll go," he muttered, turning and following Hinamori and leaving his two arguing friends behind him.

Momo rapidly headed back in the direction of the welcome center, knowing her face was rapidly turning a deeper shade of fuchsia with every passing second. She felt like an idiot and she knew she looked like one. Her nose was still bleeding, her clothes were grass stained, and she had leaves sticking every which way out of her hair. She had gone with her father to buy herself a new wardrobe, knowing she knew next to nothing about what boys normally wore, and somehow she had already managed to get her new clothes scuffed up.

The students at Ryouta wore school uniforms but there were always after class and weekends to consider and, considering the circumstances, there was no way any of her old clothes would work.

"Hey Hinamori, wait up!" Pausing she turned to see the red head, Renji if she remembered correctly, running towards her. Confused she waited for him to catch up, fixing him with a curious look as he fell into step beside her. "Sorry about that, I can give you a hand if you want it," he told her. She hesitated before nodding, giving the other boy a slight smile.

"Uh yeah thanks, I'd like that a lot," she answered. Renji grinned at her before laughing.

"You know Ikkaku kind of had a point; you are really polite," he said to her. Momo immediately looked away, pouting.

"Is that bad?" she asked, fixing her eyes on the ground. Renji shook his head.

"Nah, don't worry about it. Ikkaku's an ass but he's not a bad guy once you get to know him," he said to her. Momo shrugged and nodded, figuring she could decide for herself once she got to know him better. Walking up the steps she entered the welcome center for the second time that day and wasn't surprised to see Kira still sitting behind the desk, looking as bored as ever. He brightened up when they walked in though he did look more than a little confused. Then he saw the blood and jumped out of his seat, yanking a tissue from the box and hurrying over to Momo and Renji.

"Hinamori! What happened, are you okay?" he asked, giving her the tissue and watching anxiously as she tipped her head back, holding the kleenex to her nose in an attempt to stop the blood flow. Renji laughed sheepishly, rubbing the back of his head with his hand.

"Well he had a little accident. Ichigo, Ikkaku and I were playing soccer and my kick went a little wide… Anyway the ball ended up hitting him in the face and, well this is the result," he answered. Kira glared at the taller boy, crossing his arms over his chest.

"That's why we're always yelling at you guys to kick the ball around somewhere there isn't people everywhere. I swear Hisagi would have your hide if he found out," the blonde told him. Renji shrugged.

"I don't think he'd care that much. Besides what's he going to do, kick us off the team?" he asked sarcastically. Kira opened his mouth to respond, found he didn't have a decent comeback, and promptly closed it again.

"Wait, you're on the soccer team?" The two boys glanced over at Momo who had suddenly spoken up, the tissue still pressed against her nose, her head still slightly tilted. Renji nodded.

"Yeah; well I guess we don't know for sure until after try outs but we were on it last year. It's almost a given that if you're on it once you'll get on it again," he said to her. "This kid's on it too believe it or not," Renji continued, clapping Kira on the back so hard he stumbled forward a few paces.

"I'll go get you another tissue," the blond muttered, shooting Renji a glare as he headed behind the desk again. Right at that moment a breeze blew through the building as the front door opened and a man walked in, drawing Momo's eye. He was very tall with broad shoulders, wavy brown hair and dark rimmed glasses placed over mocha colored eyes. He smiled at Renji and Kira before his eyes rested on Hinamori and he paused.

"What happened here?" he asked and Momo immediately noticed how gentle and concerned his voice sounded. She couldn't help but feel her face heat up ever so slightly and she immediately dropped her gaze, suddenly finding the floor ten times more interesting than it had been before.

"Aizen!" Kira exclaimed, making his way back around the desk, tissue box in hand. He sent the man a bright smile while Renji nodded his own greeting. "There was a bit of an accident and Hinamori here ended up on the receiving end of one of Renji's power kicks," he told him. Aizen winced and fixed Renji with a half exasperated half amused look.

"Really? I thought Hisagi made it clear to the players he didn't want them kicking the ball around in the middle of campus," he said. Kira fixed Renji with a triumphant look, his eyes screaming: 'I told you so!' The red head harrumphed and shoved his hands into his pockets, avoiding the accusing glances Kira continued to send his way. Aizen shook his head before turning his gaze to Momo.

"I'm sorry this had to happen. I'm Sousuke Aizen, the English teacher here. You don't look familiar, I assume you're new?" he inquired. Hinamori nodded, suddenly wishing she didn't look as ridiculous as she did.

"Yes sir. I'm Masaki Hinamori, nice to meet you," she said to him. Aizen nodded before turning to Renji and Kira.

"Make sure you help him out if he needs it," he said to them before giving Momo a small smile and turning down the hallway, disappearing from view in a matter of moments. Shaking his head Renji turned back to Kira who was standing by with the tissue box, a smug expression on his face. Scowling the red head smacked him in the back almost causing the blonde to lose his balance for the second time.

"Get his back up files out of his folder so I can show him where the dorm is," he commanded bluntly. Kira scowled but obliged, placing the kleenex box in Momo's free hand before once more disappearing into the file cabinet.

"Here," he said once he'd unearthed the copy and reappeared above the desk. Momo, whose nose had finally stopped bleeding, took it gratefully and smiled at him.

"Thanks so much Kira. Sorry to be any trouble," she said to him. The boy shook his head.

"It's not like it was your fault. I said to come back if you needed anything and I meant it. I hope your nose feels better. Try to give Ikkaku a good whack for me," he said to her. The girl laughed and nodded before waving and heading out of the building for what she hoped would be the last time that day.

**.............**

**Alright everyone there you have it, chapter one. Hitsugaya comes in the next chapter and I'm super excited to write it cuz he's my favorite! Yahoo! Okay anyway please please leave me a review, it would make my day! Thanks so much for reading, i'll try to have an update out soon! I know it wasn't super exciting, the action will pick up in later chapters. Thanks again!**

**~Phoenix**


	2. First Meeting

**A/N: Hey thank you so much to everyone who has reviewed my story up to this point. Your reviews keep me writing. Hitsugaya should be making an appearance this chapter which I'm looking forward to writing and hopefully you're looking forward to reading so without further ado…**

…………**.**

Momo followed Renji back in the direction of the dorms, trying to ignore her throbbing nose; glad it had finally stopped bleeding. The red head was chatting away pleasantly but she wasn't really listening, her attention distracted by all the new sights and sounds she was being exposed to.

The campus was alive with students milling back and forth between buildings, sitting in the shade of the large trees growing every couple of feet, talking contentedly amongst themselves, or just enjoying the beautiful weather. A flash of orange caught her eye and she glanced over to see Ichigo and Ikkaku standing under the shade of a large oak with a couple of other guys, all tall, attractive, and athletic looking.

"Here we are, home sweet home," Renji said sarcastically, gesturing to the large brown building before them. It had three steps leading up to the door which read 'Ryouta High Dorm 2' in golden block letters, large windows revealing a lounge area where a couple of students were sitting lazily, textbooks or cell phones in hand. Momo took a deep breath and followed him inside.

Dorm 2 was a lot quieter than she would have expected for being the living quarters of a bunch of high school boys. Voicing her concerns to Renji he told her it was because everyone was out enjoying the beautiful weekend weather and that it would be a lot louder once night fell.

Leading her through multiple hallways he pointed out where the snack machines were as well as the baths, and the various dorms belonging to his friends as well as the one he shared with Ichigo.

"I think your room is just down the hall," he said to her. "What number did you say you were again?"

"Um 207," she replied after a quick glance at her sheet, glad Kira had been able to give her an extra.

"Alright follow me," Renji told her, setting off at a quick trot down the hall. Momo followed after him, her heart starting to pound faster in her chest. What if this Hitsugaya guy was in the room? What would he think of her? It was going to be incredibly difficult to keep her true identity a secret and seeing how she was going to be living with this boy…well he was bound to complicate things.

"Hey Renji?" she asked, jogging forward a few steps in order to catch up with her companion's long strides.

"Yeah?" he asked, pausing and looking down at her.

"This Hitsugaya person that I'm rooming with; what's he like?" she inquired. Renji hesitated, his face screwing up in thought.

"He's pretty short as far as guys go, though he's got you beat by a couple of inches," he remarked. Momo flushed, quite aware of the significant height difference between herself and everyone else she had met up to this point. "The kid is ridiculously smart, top of all his classes. Everyone says he's going to go far in life." The girl nodded before speaking up again.

"But what's he like personally? I mean, what's his personality like?" she asked. Renji snorted a bit, putting his hands behind his head and once more continuing down the hallway.

"He's a cold hearted ass most of the time," he stated bluntly. "But he has his moments, at least around his friends. Who knows, maybe he'll warm up to you. He'll certainly be happy not being the shrimp of the group anymore. Kid nearly put the last person who called him short in the hospital…" he trailed off, sneaking a glance down at Momo to see her reaction.

"He beat someone up?" she gasped, her large brown eyes widening. Renji laughed out loud.

"No, I was stretching the story a bit. Not like you can say anything about him being short though; you're about the scrawniest guy I've ever seen," he commented. Momo scowled up at him.

"Well excuse me for not being as well qualified as you!" she snapped, her own attitude catching her off guard. Renji brushed it aside however, merely chuckling at her words and pausing outside one of the dorm rooms.

"Well here you are. I doubt Hitsugaya will be in, he's rarely in the dorm these days. I think he and Hisagi are getting ready for the upcoming soccer tryouts down on the fields," he said breezily. Momo nodded, not sure whether to be relieved or disappointed. Taking a deep breath she took out the room key that had been in the second manila folder she'd received, slid it into the lock, and slowly turned the knob.

Pushing the door in she stepped into the room that would serve as her home until graduation, or at least until she was found out, whichever came first. The dorm was medium sized, one bed against the right wall and another on the left. The left bed was already neatly made with a navy blue comforter draped over it, a white pillow at the top and a bookshelf shoved up against the side of the headboard.

Glancing at it, Momo couldn't help but notice the huge array of textbooks taking up most of the shelving space, from calculus to advanced physics and everything in between. Apparently Renji and Kira hadn't been joking when they'd called this kid a genius.

The room had a pleasant scent to it, a kind of minty freshness along with the after effects of light cologne. If it was anything like what this Hitsugaya person actually smelled like, and if scent was any sign of attraction, it might be harder living with him than she'd originally thought. There was a window on the back wall that revealed a great view of the campus below them, the pane cracked open slightly, allowing a pleasant breeze to waft from outside into the room. Renji shrugged, shoving his hands into his pockets.

"Yeah so make yourself at home," he said with a haphazard grin. Momo nodded.

"Thanks, I'll do that," she replied, giving him a small smile. Renji turned back to the hallway though paused at the door and glanced at her over his shoulder.

"Oh and Hinamori?"

"Yes?"

"A bunch of us are going out later tonight with some of the girls from Kaito if you're interested in coming," he said to her. Momo hesitated, really not wanting to put herself out but at the same time knowing it would give her a head start at potential new friends. Hoping she wouldn't regret this later she gave the red head a smile and nodded.

"Thanks Renji, I'd like that a lot," she responded. His grin widened and he turned back to the hall.

"Great. Be ready around seven," he said to her before disappearing out the door. Momo let a huge sigh escape her lips and flopped back onto the empty bed behind her. Her first day at Ryouta and she was already going out with 'friends.' She wondered who else Renji had in mind beside the 'girls from Kaito' which she could only assume to be another high school. Maybe Ichigo and Ikkaku?

Rolling over she pushed herself off the bed and knelt next to her overly stuffed duffle bag, bracing herself as she pulled it open. Immediately clothes cascaded everywhere and she was grateful for the fact that the door was shut, obscuring her from the view of any innocent passersby.

A single chest of drawers was placed against the opposite wall and Momo studied it, knowing this may end up being a problem later. Walking over to it she cautiously opened the top right hand drawer to see that there was already a stack of neatly folded shirts on the inside, not a crease in sight. Shutting it she opened the one below to see the same thing though as she went to push the drawer back in, something caught her eye. Knowing she shouldn't but not being able to stop herself she gently pulled the royal blue shirt from the drawer and held it up to examine.

The soccer jersey felt silky smooth in her hands, a single white stripe going down both sides, the front right hand corner reading 'Ryouta Death Gods' with the image of a miniature reaper placed underneath. Turning it over she saw **T. Hitsugaya** emblazoned in bold white letters above a fancy looking number ten. The longer she looked at it the more she wanted to get out on the field and play, her feet itching to make connection with the rubbery bliss of a soccer ball.

Sighing she neatly folded the jersey up and set it carefully back into the drawer, closing it up again and pulling out the bottom one. This too was full of clothes, pants this time, and Momo shoved it shut as well. Moving on to the top left she was relieved to see that this drawer was indeed empty and so were the two underneath it.

Turning back to her overflowing duffle bag Momo carefully took out her clothes, shirts first followed by the baggy cargo shorts and jeans that her father had purchased for her, and carefully placed them into the top and middle drawers. Opening the bottom she put her pajama pants, boxers (that she would wear over her underwear), and multiple sweat shirts into it before carefully taking her small pile of undergarments, folding them up inside one of her sweatshirts, and shoving them into the very back corner of the bottom drawer.

Straightening up she yanked her blankets out from her now very deflated bag and spread them over her mattress, the familiar bright red of her comforter making her feel a little more at home. Dropping her pillow on top she sat down on the bed and glanced around at her handiwork. Nodding once in satisfaction she flopped over, her head sinking happily into her pillow. She hadn't realized until right then just how tired she was. A flash of pain through her nose reminded her of the day's earlier adventures and she made a mental note to find ice of some sort later, after she took a quick nap…

…………

_Knock knock knock!_ Momo groaned and burrowed further underneath her blankets, wondering what in the world that annoying noise was and why it wasn't going away. _Knock Knock! _

"Five more minutes mom…" the girl mumbled sleepily, turning her body away from the obnoxious knocking and pulling the blankets over her head. _Knock! Knock! _

"Hinamori, you ready yet? Come on!" Momo screwed her eyes shut even tighter, wondering why her mother's voice sounded slightly masculine… Since when had her mother referred to her as Hinamori? Oh crap.

The girl's eyes shot open and she sat bolt upright, her gaze flying around the room looking for a clock of any kind. The digital on Hitsugaya's bedside table read 7:04 p.m.

"Darn it!" Momo screeched, careening out of bed and flying towards the door, her foot catching onto the strap of her empty duffle bag, sending her flying across the room and into the wall with an audible crash.

"Hinamori? You okay in there?" The voice was Renji's and Momo cursed herself for oversleeping. She had meant to snooze for twenty minutes at most but had wound up being out for three hours! How the heck had that happened?

"I'm fine, I'm coming!" she yelled back, scrambling to her feet and making a dash for her shoes, not even bothering to check her appearance in the mirror before she threw the door open to reveal Renji and a few others standing in the entryway.

"Just wake up?" the red head asked, taking in her bedraggled appearance and slightly flushed cheeks.

"Yeah…" she muttered, stumbling out the door and closing it behind her, attempting to rub the sleep from her eyes with her free hand. Glancing up she looked at the others who had come with Renji, recognizing Ichigo and Ikkaku from that morning but no one else. Catching her confused gaze the tattooed young man stepped forward.

"Alright everyone this is Hinamori. He's new so I figured we'd give him the old Ryouta high welcome," he said with a smirk. Momo's insides turned to ice. Ryouta high welcome? Why did she suddenly feel like she was going to regret this?

"Uh, hi," she said, trying not to appear to wildly disoriented.

"Come on you idiots introduce yourselves." That was Ichigo. The first unfamiliar face stepped up, a wiry looking young man with dark hair falling to either side of his face and glasses resting precariously on the bridge of his nose.

"Uryu Ishida, a pleasure," he said with a nod. Momo smiled at him.

"Nice to meet you," she replied. Her legs almost gave out as the next guy stepped up. And she'd thought Renji was big…this guy was a giant. He was heavily muscled and wearing an uncharacteristically pink shirt and jeans that stretched down to white cowboy boots.

"Sado Yasutora," he said shortly, his voice a deep baritone.

"Everyone calls him Chad," Ichigo said with a grin, elbowing the giant in the arm. Chad didn't even flinch. Momo smiled nervously up at him.

"Hi," she said, not knowing which name to go with at the moment. Momo wasn't sure whether the next guy was a dude or not with his chin length black hair and long feminine lashes. Yet when he spoke it was with an unmistakable tenor voice, removing all doubt from her mind. What would a girl be doing in an all guy's school anyway? Wait…

"Good to meet you Hinamori. My name is Yumichika Ayasegawa, the most beautiful man at Ryouta," he told her. Momo blinked before laughing nervously.

"Er, nice to meet you," she said, not really sure how else to reply to his comment. The last was a scrawny boy with large eyes and chin length dark hair, a friendly smile on his face as he stepped up to introduce himself.

"Hi! I'm Hanataro Yamada and it's a pleasure to meet you Hinamori," he said extending a hand towards her. Momo grinned and took it, this boy's friendliness contagious.

"Hello," she said to him, shaking his hand lightly.

"Alright let's go," Renji said, turning on his heel and heading down the hall.

"Where the hell are Hitsugaya and Hisagi?" Ikkaku asked, his question pointed at Ichigo who shrugged.

"Hisagi's meeting us down in the lounge and I don't know where Hitsugaya is. You know he's not much of a partier," he responded. Momo frowned, wondering if she was ever going to get a chance to meet her mysterious roommate.

"He's as much of a partier as Hanataro..." Renji said with a grin, giving the smaller kid a light shove that almost sent him flying into the wall. The boy flushed and muttered something under his breath that sounded an awful lot like: 'I do my best…' The group took the elevator down to the lounge, stepping out and into the open area that was now crawling with students going every which way. They met up with Hisagi, a tall senior with messily cropped black hair and dark eyes who, Momo found out, was captain of Ryouta's soccer team. Introductions were made and Hisagi gave her a small smile and a hello which she promptly returned.

Upon falling into step behind Ichigo she heard him turn to the soccer captain and say:

"So where's Toshiro?" Hisagi shrugged.

"He said he had some things to do but would meet up with us later," he responded. "I don't know if he will or not, you know how he is." Momo stared at the concrete, finding herself hoping that he would in fact be there though she couldn't say why. She supposed she was intrigued by the genius kid everyone was talking about who she had yet to meet.

All at once the sound of a twanging guitar solo rent the air which turned out to be the ring tone of Ichigo's cell phone. The young man grinned, flipping the phone open and holding it up to his ear.

"Yeah?" he asked before immediately wincing and holding the phone out about a foot from his ear. Momo could hear the loud voice of a female on the other end sounding more than a little bit irritated. Putting the phone back to his ear Ichigo attempted to get a word in.

"You don't have to yell Rukia, I can hear you," he said, rolling his eyes. "I know we're late, one of our friends slept in." Hinamori inwardly winced, figuring this Rukia person was probably one of the girls they were meeting up with. "Chill out we're almost there. No seriously we're about to walk onto your block; there you see us?" Momo looked up to see a group of four a little ways down the block they had just stepped onto and one of them appeared to have a cell phone in her hand. Ichigo laughed before hanging up his phone and shoving it in his pocket, walking a little quicker than he had been before.

It didn't take long for the two groups to meet and once again introductions were made. There were four girls; the first was incredibly short and skinny with black hair that fell haphazardly over her face and shockingly purple eyes. She introduced herself as Rukia, the girl Ichigo had been talking to on the phone, and gave Momo a warm smile.

The second was a little taller than Rukia with sporty short hair, a tomboyish look and a spunky smile. She went by Tatsuki. The third was pretty with long flowing orange hair held back by two flower pins, her eyes sparkling as she enveloped Momo in a welcoming hug, introducing herself as Orihime.

The last was a voluptuous ginger haired girl with a low cut tank top and jean mini skirt, making Momo conscious of her own obvious lack of a figure. Then again, she thought, if she had breasts like this Rangiku Matsumoto there was no way she would have been able to disguise herself and attend Ryouta in the first place.

Rangiku swept her gaze over the group, her mouth drooping into a frown and her arms folded across her chest.

"Where's Toshiro? He told me he was coming," she said, her eyes meeting Hisagi's accusingly. The young man held up his hands in a gesture of surrender.

"All I know is he had some things to do and that he might be by later," he answered. Rangiku's pout grew and she wasted no time whipping a bright pink cell phone from her pocket, dialing a number and slamming her free hand onto her hip.

"Poor Hitsugaya…" she heard Hanataro murmur while Ikkaku and Yumichika cackled. Glancing over at the busty high schooler, Momo saw her tapping a single manicured nail against her arm, her face impatient as she waited for the boy to pick up his phone. Fortunately she didn't have to wait long.

"Toshiro?" the girl asked into the phone, her expression brightening as the young man on the other line clearly confirmed his identity. "Where are you?" A pause. "I don't care about your bio assignment; you told me you were coming out with us tonight." Another pause, everyone listening intently to the conversation to see how it would turn out. Rangiku's face screwed up into a pout and Momo could tell things obviously weren't going her way. "Stop making excuses! I haven't seen you in a week and you promised you would come this time. I swear if you don't show up I will make your life a living hell for as long as it entertains me and won't hesitate to tell your new roommate every secret I know about you from the time you were six until now!" Momo blanched, wondering how on earth she had suddenly been brought into the conversation. Rangiku's face immediately brightened and she grinned. "Great, we'll see you soon!" And with those parting words she snapped the phone shut.

"Well?" Ikkaku asked expectantly, his voice filled with impatience.

"He'll meet us there," Matsumoto answered, flipping her hair over her shoulder and heading off down the sidewalk. "Come on let's go!" The group filed in behind her, Momo trying to avoid attention by walking behind the very tall Renji. She noticed Rukia walking beside him with Ichigo on her other side, the three of them talking and laughing like old friends which, the girl immediately realized, they probably were.

The sun was slowly sinking beyond the horizon and Hinamori couldn't help but wonder where exactly it was they were headed. Renji hadn't been very specific when he said they were 'going out' and she could only imagine a place that a group like them would that could entertain everyone. The answer, she shortly discovered, was the local bar and karaoke. Momo immediately took an unconscious step backwards. There was no way she was going to sing here for multiple reasons.

No one else seemed to notice her sudden stiffening shoulders or wide panicked eyes as they all headed inside, talking excitedly amongst themselves. Momo filed in behind them, feeling more and more uncomfortable and out of place by the minute. Why had she agreed to come here again?

Rangiku lead the way through the crowded bar, weaving confidently between the many bodies, some of them already reeking to high heaven, the smell of alcohol rolling off them in waves. Momo nearly gagged. She never got drunk and now would be a horrible time to start. Maybe she could still escape quietly…

"Are you okay?" Startled the girl glanced up to see Ichigo Kurosaki looking down at her with his eyebrows raised, obviously having noticed her apprehensive expression.

"Uh, yeah sorry," she replied, trying to smile and failing miserably. Ichigo's face cracked into a knowing grin.

"Is this your first time at a bar?" he asked.

"No!" Momo protested though paused at the look he gave her. "…Yes." He laughed, shaking his head and shoving his hands into his pockets.

"Don't worry about it. Everyone's chill here, just do what you're comfortable with," he said to her. The girl felt her mouth fold into a genuine smile and she couldn't help feeling a rush of gratitude towards the orange haired boy.

"Thank you," she told him.

"No problem," he responded shooting her another grin before moving away to stand by Rukia. Shortly thereafter they were escorted to a table, or rather two tables pushed together in order to accommodate them all. The others had wasted no time in ordering a few drinks, grabbing a song book and paging through it, trying to decide on something.

Momo tried to stay in the back most of the time, talking only when someone said something to her. She refused an offer to sing a song of her own, her excuse being she was born tone deaf and couldn't sing a tune to save her life. After this comment Ikkaku slammed his hands down on the table and fixed her with a reproachful look.

"You're kind of boring aren't you kid?" he asked. Momo drew back and bit her lip, not sure how she should reply to the biting comment.

"There's a difference between being boring and being an idiot. You happen to be an idiot Ikkaku." Silence followed this comment before a loud snort of laugher erupted from Renji's lips shortly followed by everyone else. Momo turned to see who had spoken, wondering just who it was that had come to her rescue. The girl blinked, feeling her face heat up almost as soon as she made eye contact.

He was gorgeous; there was no way around it.

His hair was the first thing she noticed, unruly and white with a single strand falling into beautiful green-blue eyes. A dark black shirt clung ever so slightly to his frame, revealing the fact that he clearly had a very nice body under those clothes of his…Not that she was noticing! Momo rapidly looked away, staring at her hands. Please, please don't let this be… Yet fate was a cruel mistress for the new arrival chose that moment to speak, a small smirk playing across his lips.

"You must be my new roommate. I'm Toshiro Hitsugaya…nice to meet you."

…………

**Wow sorry that got so long. I meant to have more of Hitsugaya in this chapter but I guess that didn't end up happening after all. It would mean so much to me if you would review to let me know what you think. Even a few words are greatly appreciated.**

**~Phoenix**


	3. A little awkward

**A/N: Thank you so much to everyone who has reviewed my story up to this point! I'm so happy that you all seem to be enjoying it and I will do my best to continue updating as often as I can. This chapter is dedicated to all my amazing reviewers who have been so awesome!! Thank you!**

…………

Momo blinked several times, knowing she looked like a deer caught in headlights and not really sure what to do about it. Even so the silence was becoming awkward and she knew it would just get worse until she regained her voice controls and said something. The kid had introduced himself so it was only logical that she should too.

"I'm Mo-no um-Masaki. Masaki Hinamori," she stuttered, dropping her gaze and staring at the floor, wishing it would swallow her up. Why was this suddenly so difficult? She hadn't had any problems introducing herself to the rest of the group. The girl braced herself for what her roommate would say next though she needn't have worried for all he did was give her a slight nod before heading over to where Hisagi was standing with Chad and Uryu. The girl released a breath she hadn't known she'd been holding before withdrawing into her corner of the booth again, refusing to let her eyes move over in his direction.

…………

Matsumoto watched the new boy's first encounter with Toshiro Hitsugaya, an interested spark in her eye upon seeing the slight pink blush that fanned across his face upon making eye contact. It was faint, she doubted anyone else had noticed it, but it was definitely there. Narrowing her eyes she watched as the boy stumbled over his name, taking him a couple of tries before finally getting it out. It was unusual behavior for a boy, she thought. Toshiro was a very attractive young man she knew, but he didn't normally have this kind of effect on boys; not straight boys anyway. Could this Masaki Hinamori be gay?

Rangiku stuck one manicured finger into her ear in a futile attempt to drown out Ikkaku's loud singing and studied the shy boy quietly. No, she didn't think he was gay though there was definitely something off about him. He was slender and small, shorter than herself even, with large eyes and a tiny petite nose. She found that the longer she studied his face the more she began to think that Masaki Hinamori looked less and less like a shy young man and more and more like a confused young girl. But that was crazy wasn't it? What would a girl be doing in Ryouta?

"HEY MATSUMOTO IT'S YOUR TURN ON THE MIKE! HURRY THE HELL UP OR I'M TAKING YOUR SPOT!" Renji's loud voice yanked her from her thoughts and she nearly upset her beer mug. Rolling her eyes in irritation she shot one of her nastier glares his way, shutting the young man up instantly.

"Oh relax I'm coming," she replied, standing up and heading over to the microphone. Out of the corner of her eye she noticed Hinamori get up and slide out of the booth, his eyes doing a once over of the area before he slipped away. Curiosity peaked Rangiku stared after him, wondering what in the world this mysterious kid was up to now.

"Never mind Renji, you can take my turn," she said before taking a few steps off in the direction Hinamori had disappeared.

"What? Why?" Renji asked, his face tinged red from the booze in his hand, his expression one of genuine confusion. Rangiku turned towards him, a pout on her face.

"Don't make such a fuss. I was going to use the ladies room so be a good boy and take my turn for me…unless you'd like to come that is," she added with a wink. Renji's tinted face went from crimson to a royal fuchsia and he rapidly shook his head, turning his back on her and yanking the microphone from Ikkaku's hands. Rangiku shrugged and headed off after Hinamori, pleased with herself at her quick disposal of the red head's irritating questions. Now she just had to find this elusive kid…

Glancing around she saw several people sitting in booths, leaning against walls, and dancing on tables, though none of them happened to be the small, timid boy she was looking for. Taking another couple of steps forward she finally saw a familiar head of dark hair and turned to see Hinamori standing in front of the restrooms, eyes going from the men's to the women's and back again with a look of complete and utter terror on his face. Rangiku's lips turned up into a smile and she folded her arms across her chest, interested to see how this would turn out. If her suspicions about this new kid were true, it would be amusing to see how this twist of events played out.

She saw him take a deep breath and move towards the door to the men's room, pushing on it and disappearing inside. Matsumoto watched intensely, unconsciously leaning forward as though by doing so she would gain a better view of whatever happened next. Fortunately she didn't have to wait long.

Not ten seconds after he had disappeared inside, Hinamori literally dashed back out, his face an incredible shade of magenta, both eyes the size of dinner plates. Instead of going into the women's bathroom however, the kid made a beeline for the exit, wasting no time in weaving between the bars occupants and disappearing outside. Rangiku was quick to follow. She wanted answers and she had every intention of getting them.

…………

Momo burst out of the doors, her face on fire, heart pounding two hundred beats per second. She had gone into a men's bathroom and seen…she had seen… The girl pounded on her head with her fists, trying to knock the image out before it was too securely implanted in her mind. Unfortunately the effort was in vain. She was scarred for life and that was that.

This whole disguising herself as a boy business was becoming a bit more than she could handle and it was still only the first day. Not only did she have issues with which bathroom she was supposed to walk into, she still hadn't even begun to tackle the whole bathing ordeal which was bound to be a problem. There was no way she could bathe with the other boys because there were just some things that they were bound to notice. And then there was her roommate…her roommate who looked like a freaking god. Why oh why did life hate her so much?

She was so caught up in her thoughts that she didn't notice the bar's doors swing open to reveal Matsumoto, her eyes scanning the darkness until they rested on Hinamori.

"There you are!" Momo jumped at the words, whirling around to face the voluptuous young woman walking towards her.

"Oh, Matsumoto! You startled me!" she squeaked, taking a step backwards, her eyes darting around for an escape route of any kind. Rangiku raised her eyebrows, fixing the girl with a piercing gaze.

"Hinamori I need to talk to you," she said to her, shifting her weight to her right foot and placing her hand on a curvy hip.

"About what?" Momo asked, remembering to drop her voice this time.

"Somewhere private," Matsumoto replied with a wink. Momo felt her face heat up, calling on all of her self control to avoid booking it out of there that instant. If Matsumoto believed she was a boy and was implying what she thought she was implying…things could get awkward and out of hand really fast.

"U-um that's alright, we don't actually have to do that. How about going back inside with everyone else," Momo stammered, taking a step back towards the bar. Rangiku however, had placed herself firmly between Momo and escape and had no intention of letting her scamper away. Crossing her arms she stared the girl down and asked the question that had been bothering her all evening.

"Hinamori, are you a girl?" Momo blanched. How could she have guessed? Was she that bad at pretending to be a guy? Was her shirt too tight? What had given her away?

"N-no, of course not. What the heck are you saying?" she asked, hoping that maybe she would be able to BS her way out of this one. Not happening. Rangiku shook her head.

"We can talk about this here in the open or someplace where we're less likely to be overheard. I have no idea what put you in this predicament but I'm willing to bet you don't want anyone else finding out about it. So what do you say? Want to take a little walk?" Matsumoto asked, her eyes boring into Momo's. Hinamori hesitated before slowly nodding her head. She couldn't believe this. It was the first day and she was already found out…she might as well get this over with.

…………

"So this whole thing was your dad's idea? Wow, I can't believe you would go that far just to get into a prestigious school," Rangiku exclaimed, fixing Momo with an impressed look. Momo shook her head.

"Well yeah. He didn't tell me it was an all boy's school until after I'd already been accepted and was set to go," she answered. The girls had walked a ways down the block, leaving the blazing lights of the bar far behind them. "Are you going to tell everyone?" Hinamori asked after a pause. Matsumoto stared at her.

"Are you kidding me? Of course not! This is just like one of those epic romance novels! Anyway if I told on you now I would lose all the excitement of watching and seeing how this thing plays out. Besides, it'll be good to have a female close by who's in the know on this anyway, it might make life a little easier for you," she said to her. Relief swarmed into Momo's stomach and she smiled up at the older girl.

"Thank you so much Matsumoto," she said. Rangiku frowned.

"There's only one thing I'd like to know," she murmured.

"What's that?" Momo asked.

"Your real name." The smaller girl grinned.

"Momo. Momo Hinamori."

……………

Not long afterwards the two made their way back to the bar, any tension that had been in the air between them earlier having vanished during their conversation. Despite her voluptuous appearance and flamboyant attitude, Momo found Matsumoto to be an incredibly nice person and she couldn't help feeling a little relieved that she was no longer completely on her own. The ginger haired girl had promised to keep her secret on pain of death which Momo found to be a bit dramatic though drama seemed to be Rangiku's middle name. It was fortunate for Hinamori however, that Kaito was so close to Ryouta and therefore Matsumoto was within walking distance if there was ever an emergency of some kind. With these reassurances in mind, she reentered the bar and looked around for her friends.

Ikkaku was on the microphone again, shouting out indecipherable words that Momo figured were supposed to be the lyrics. Renji had his face down on the table, one hand wrapped around a beer mug, the other in his lap. He seemed to be completely out of it. Rukia and Ichigo were yelling at each other about something, both of them still on the more sober side of drunk. Chad, Uryu, Orihime, Hanataro, and Yumichika were sitting at one of the booths, talking and laughing amongst themselves, all save Yumichika still sober.

"Where were you guys?" Momo glanced up to see Hisagi staring at them, his eyes narrowed suspiciously at Rangiku. She grinned and winked at him.

"We just went for a walk, didn't we Hinamori?" she cooed. Momo took her cue and nodded, seriously doubting that Hisagi would buy that cheap excuse.

"Sure you did," the soccer captain muttered but he didn't bother them any further about it. Not two seconds later Ikkaku stumbled over, having finally been pushed off the microphone by Yumichika who was now singing a sappy love song.

"Geez Matsumoto, I didn't know yoush liked younger guuuys," he slurred, his eyes roving all over the place in a failed attempt to focus on the two of them. Matsumoto shrugged.

"There's nothing wrong with variety," she responded before heading off after Hisagi. Momo glanced around, desperately trying to avoid Ikkaku's blatant staring and instead looking for Toshiro in the crowd. She finally found him a couple of feet away, sitting at one of the smaller tables, his eyes staring unfocused in front of him. Stealing herself Momo took a few steps forward, deciding now might be a good time to get to know him better. She approached the table cautiously and paused when his gaze swiveled around to meet hers.

"Um, hi," she murmured, wishing she could have come up with something a little more intelligent sounding to say.

"Hey," he responded, his icy eyes piercing hers. Desperately trying to find a topic to talk about Momo blurted out:

"So you're not much of a partier huh? I mean I noticed you weren't drinking or anything, or singing, or…talking…much…" she trailed off her face heating up. This was humiliating. He was staring at her as though she had just sprouted an extra head and she knew she deserved it. Rambling? Check. Instead of making fun of her failed attempts at conversation however he merely shook his head and glanced away.

"Matsumoto made me come otherwise I wouldn't be here," he answered shortly. Momo frowned.

"Why didn't you just tell her no?" she asked innocently. Hitsugaya sent her an 'are you crazy' look and she instantly shut up. Clearly there were sides of Rangiku she had yet to discover. The girl was about to open her mouth to begin rambling session number two when Toshiro stood up, shoved his chair under the table and walked off without another word. Momo blinked and stared after him, feeling as though someone had just walloped her in the stomach. She didn't think she had ever gotten so royally blown off in her life. Renji hadn't been kidding when he'd mentioned Hitsugaya's cold attitude. She watched as her roommate exchanged a few words with Hisagi, a slightly disgusted look on his face at the state the soccer captain was currently in, before he turned on his heel and disappeared into the crowd of people.

"Ouch, you just got ditched." Momo jumped and whirled around to see Yumichika standing behind her, a glass of beer in one hand, the other running through his dark locks.

"Y-yeah," she replied, not really sure how she was supposed to respond. Hitsugaya's actions had already smarted enough without anyone else rubbing them in.

"Don't let it get to you, he's always like that. You should be glad he talked to you at all," Yumichika said to her with a shrug. "He'll warm up to you eventually…maybe." Momo sighed and stared at her hands, unable to push off the feeling of gloom that had suddenly descended on her like a rain cloud. Plopping down into an empty booth she couldn't help but wonder if her night might have turned out better if she had never accepted Renji's invitation in the first place.

…………

It was one-o-clock in the morning by the time they all got back to the dorms. Momo, along with Ichigo who was still mostly sober, had ended up helping all of their drunken friends back to their respective rooms and made sure they got settled in properly. It was an interesting experience especially after only knowing them for a scant few hours. Hopefully she wouldn't find herself having to go through this same process every weekend.

After bidding Ichigo good night Momo headed back to her own dorm room, her feet dragging down the hallway as weariness settled in. It was fortunate indeed that the following day was a Sunday and therefore they didn't have classes, an added bonus for those who would be suffering from hangovers that morning.

Arriving at her door she fumbled around in her pocket for the dorm key, finally pulling it out and inserting it into the lock, pushing the door open as quietly as she could. The otherwise dark room was lit solely by a small desk lamp set on Hitsugaya's bedside table, the single strand of light illuminating the young man sprawled fast asleep on his bed. Momo stifled a small giggle as she looked at him, a large biology text book balanced on his stomach, his still form surrounded by notebooks and sheets of paper with various amounts of notes scrawled across them.

Tiptoeing forward so as to not wake him she ever so carefully lifted the textbook off his chest, hoping that by doing so she made it a bit easier for the boy to breathe. He stirred softly and she froze, knowing that if he woke up an awkward 'conversation' was bound to ensue. Fortunately for her he merely shifted in his sleep, his eyes remaining closed, his mind still lost in the world of dreams. With utmost care Momo took the sheets of paper surrounding him off the bed and set them neatly on the floor beneath the biology book. Straightening back up she couldn't help but be drawn to his face, her eyes having issues focusing on anything else in the room. He looked so calm and peaceful, nothing like the uptight boy she'd met at the bar. Maybe, if he looked like this all the time, it would be easier for people to approach him and he wouldn't have such a chilly reputation.

Before she could talk herself out of it, Momo carefully approached him again and picked up the blanket that had been thrown haphazardly to the end of the bed, draping it over his still form as carefully and cautiously as she could. Stepping back she smiled satisfied, fixing him with one last look before turning back to her side of the room. For some reason her heart was beating strangely in her chest and her face felt unusually hot. She would have to make sure to open a window the next day…

………………**..**

**Wow I am so sorry that was as delayed as it was. I've been ridiculously busy with Frisbee tournaments and school in general so you all have my deepest apologies. I will do my best to get the next chapter out within the week. Thank you so much to everyone who has reviewed so far, please continue to do so. Even just a few words make a lot of difference! Thank you so much! Oh yeah, I hope the whole thing with Mastumoto finding out wasn't weird. I wanted her to know from the beginning for future developments in my story but no one else will find out for awhile. Thanks again!**

**~Phoenix**


	4. Surprise Encounter

**A/N: Hey everybody. Thank you so much for the encouraging reviews, they keep me writing! Please leave me your thoughts on this chapter as well, hope you enjoy it!!**

……………

The few rays of sun streaming in through her window woke Momo the next morning, tickling her face teasingly with its gentle warmth. Scrunching up her eyes the girl rolled over, trying in vain to hang on to the last shreds of sleep remaining in her consciousness though it was a lost cause. She was awake and there was nothing she could do about it. Opening her eyes, Momo let her gaze wander around the room, reminding herself where she was and what exactly she was doing here. Turning on her side she looked over to where her roommate's bed was only to find it empty and neatly made, all the papers that had been scattered everywhere earlier having vanished along with him.

Yawning she sat up, stretching her arms high above her head before letting them fall loosely onto her lap. This was her last day of freedom before classes began and she had no idea what to do with it. She had already unpacked the scant belongings she'd brought with her, though her parents had promised to send her anything else she might need in the mail.

Blinking, her mind wandered back to the previous night and the events that had taken place at the bar: Meeting her dorm mates, Matsumoto finding her out, and Hitsugaya being a complete and utter jerk. Sighing she looked out the window. It was a beautiful day with a cloudless blue sky and pleasant breeze blowing, perfect weather for playing soccer. Normally she would take full advantage of this and head off to her neighborhood park to play but unfortunately she had no idea where the nearest park was and she wasn't sure if any of her 'friends' were up yet. It was after all 12:02 in the afternoon…WHAT?

Momo's eyes widened as she stared at the digital clock on Hitsugaya's bedside table, the red neon numbers displaying the hour of the afternoon. There was no way she had slept in that late was there? Rolling out of bed she grabbed the bag she was temporarily using as a hamper and yanked her pants out of it, rummaging around in the pocket until she found her cell phone. Whipping it out she glared at the tiny digits only to find that the digital hadn't been lying. It was indeed Sunday afternoon; she'd slept right through the morning.

"Seriously!?" Momo wailed, throwing her pants back into the bag and leaping to her feet, going for the chest of drawers that contained her clothing. Yanking them open she rummaged through them until she found a simple black tee shirt with the picture of a guitar stamped across it and tossed it onto the floor. Reaching for her pants drawer she suddenly paused, wondering why it was exactly that she was so freaked out about sleeping in. Technically she was posing as a high school boy and they slept in all the time. She didn't have any place she needed to be and it wasn't like she was keeping Renji and everyone else waiting this time. Apparently freaking out upon rolling out of bed had become too much of a habit for her. Shrugging she opened the drawer and sifted through its contents, looking for a pair that caught her eye.

After deciding on a baggy pair of cargos she walked over to the door and double checked to make sure it was locked. It wouldn't do for someone to walk in on her while she was changing and if it was Hitsugaya well…she would have enough time to jump under the blankets before he unlocked the door and walked in. Feeling a little safer she pulled her pajama top off and inspected the wrap around her chest to make sure it was secure before slipping the black shirt over her head and yanking on the pants. Running a brush through her hair she nodded once in satisfaction, grabbed her room key from the bedside table, and walked out the door.

The halls were deserted and relatively quiet, the only sound was soft music playing from whoever was in room 203. It was to be expected however considering how nice the weather was outside, everyone wanting to be out and enjoying it before once more being confined to a stuffy classroom for the next five days. Momo was no exception. With an extra spring in her step she headed down the flight of stairs, through the lobby, and out of Dorm 2's front door.

The grassy area was alive with students milling back and forth, sitting in clumps in the shade of the trees, throwing frisbees around, or doing homework due the following day. Unconsciously she found herself looking for any of the people she had met the night before though if they were present, she didn't see them. Deciding now would be an excellent time to explore she set off down the sidewalk in the opposite direction of the welcome center; she'd spent enough time there yesterday.

Dorms one and three were spread out along the sidewalk and she noticed that there were more students coming out of the buildings than going in. The cafeteria was to the right and the smell wafting out from the doors made her stomach grumble. She hadn't eaten breakfast yet and she quickly made a mental note to stop by and pick up lunch sometime before it was done being served.

Ryouta High itself was back behind the welcome center though she avoided the place, knowing she would be spending more than enough time within its walls in the weeks to come. What she really wanted to see were the high school's soccer fields. Fortunately, she didn't have to walk far.

Coming up over a rise in the grass she saw them laid out before her like a picture from heaven. They were perfect. There was three of them, each one spaced evenly apart with large goals placed symmetrically on either end. The grass was a deep emerald green and mown just right while the white lines making up the field could easily have been painted yesterday. They were deserted at the moment and Momo couldn't help wandering down the hill and moving trancelike towards them.

Her feet squished happily in the grass and she resisted the urge to whip off her shoes and socks and run barefoot across the fields the way she always had after games. Unfortunately she still didn't really know anyone at Ryouta and she didn't want to be marked as a crazy before even attending her first class. Besides actions like that would draw attention to her and at the moment, that was the last thing she wanted to do.

Sitting down in the center of the first field she looked around her, wanting nothing more than to find a soccer ball and kick it repeatedly into the perfect netting of the goal. If only her parents had let her bring hers. "You won't have room in your bag," they'd said. "You can always buy one when you get there." Well here she was sitting on the field with perfect weather conditions yet there was no soccer ball in sight.

Sighing she got to her feet and was about to head back in the direction of the dorm when something caught her eye. There, placed gently at the edge of the far goal, sat a perfectly round, white and black soccer ball. Momo blinked and stared at it before a grin split her face in two. Clearly someone up there liked her. Jogging over she leaned down and picked it up, the rubber feeling good against her hands, the ball clearly in pristine condition. Momo let it fall to the ground, the soccer ball gently rolling about five feet before stopping as though waiting for her to come after it. Not wasting another second she did so.

As soon as her foot met the rubber she was lost in the exhilaration of soccer, completely forgetting about everything that was currently freaking her out and instead focusing on her love of the game. Dribbling down the field she moved the ball between her feet, feinting one way before spinning to the side and bringing the ball with her in a fancy move she had learned from her coach back home. Weaving from one side of the field to the other she let the soccer ball roll about three feet in front of her before pouncing on it again, moving it around her ankles and winding back with her right foot, shooting it like a cannonball towards the goal. It hit the back of the net with a satisfying swish and Momo threw her hands up into the air.

"Yes!" she cried, bringing her arms back down and spinning around with glee, only to come face to face with none other than Toshiro Hitsugaya. Her exhilaration whooshed out of her as quickly as it had come and it took about two seconds for the blood to rush to her face, her eyes growing wide with mortification. How long had he been watching? She tried to say something but it was like someone had tied her tongue in a knot, keeping her totally and completely mute. Fortunately for her it was Hitsugaya who broke the silence.

"I didn't know you played," he said shortly. She nodded and dropped her gaze, staring sheepishly at the ground.

"Yeah, um, a little…" was the response. He snorted but didn't say anything, instead walking past her and heading into the goal, retrieving the ball from the net. Momo glanced up, feeling more embarrassed than ever.

"Sorry was that yours? I shouldn't have used it without permission…" she trailed off as his gaze rose up to meet hers. Not responding he dropped the ball onto his knee, juggling it around before letting it rest on his foot. Momo blinked at him wondering what in the world he was thinking when all of the sudden he kicked the ball into the air, bringing his other foot back and slamming it into the soccer ball, directly at Momo. The girl saw it coming and instincts took over.

Stepping back so she was standing profile to her roommate, she waited until the last possible second before bringing up her knee and letting it take the impact of the kick. The ball flew up into the air and the girl positioned herself below, letting it tap her forehead before meeting her knee again and finally allowing it to roll from her foot to the ground. Glancing up at Toshiro she noticed a slight smile of satisfaction on his face before it was gone again, hidden behind the stoic mask he usually wore.

"Are you coming to try outs?" he asked her. Momo's face lit up and she nodded enthusiastically, remembering last second that she was supposed to be a boy and the nod turned into more of an awkward head jerk.

"Uh yeah, yes I am," she replied, dropping her voice again. Her roommate raised an eyebrow but didn't say anything, instead shoving his hands in his pockets and taking about three steps her way. Momo's eyes widened as his shoulder brushed hers and she was overcome with the soft scent of mint and cologne. It took her about two seconds to realize that the soccer ball was no longer resting comfortably against her ankle but instead sitting securely under Toshiro's foot. Confused she looked from him to the ball and back again before he finally sighed in exasperation.

"Do you want to kick it around or not?" he asked shortly and Momo immediately nodded, the blush rising to her cheeks again.

"S-sure!" she replied, jogging over to him.

"Stop stuttering all the time, you sound like a little kid," he told her, backing up a few paces and bringing the ball with him.

"Oh! Right sorry," Momo mumbled, dropping her gaze and staring intently at the ground. Toshiro paused and raised his eyebrows at her.

"You're going to need to grow a backbone before trying out for the team or the other guys will rip you apart," he said to her, not bothering to soften his blunt tone. Momo's head snapped up.

"I have a backbone!" she protested. Toshiro shrugged yet she couldn't miss the amused smile quirking at the corners of his mouth.

"Then why do you act so timid all the time? I bet you were a bed wetter as a kid," his grin widened. "Hinamori the bed wetter…it has a nice ring to it." Momo saw red and the next thing she knew she was charging at him, determined to get that soccer ball from beneath his foot so she could whack him with it. This however, was a task easier said than done. As soon as she went for the ball Toshiro rolled it away, placing the side of his body between her and her target. Undeterred Momo went after it with a new ferocity, feinting this way and that, trying to trick him into giving her the ball. It was to no avail however as the white haired prodigy seemed to see through her every move, always moving the ball at the last second right when she thought she had it.

Refusing to give up, Momo brought her foot around behind his leg, trying to get at the ball that way yet he spun away right as she stepped forward, catching her foot on his ankle and sending her tumbling to the ground. Glaring up at him she was surprised to see a rare, genuine smile on his face.

"There, that was backbone. Bring some of that to try outs and you'll be fine," he said to her and without another word he picked the ball up, tucked it under his arm and sauntered off. Momo stared after him before gathering up her courage and calling out:

"Toshiro!" He paused and turned, raising his eyebrows inquiringly at her. The girl grinned. "Thank you." There was a small pause before her roommate shook his head and turned back around.

"That's Hitsugaya to you," he muttered before once more heading on his way. Hinamori grinned, watching as he grew smaller and smaller before disappearing behind the hill. To anyone else the boy's comment might have sounded harsh but Momo knew better now. True Hitsugaya came off cold to most people, but she'd figured out that there was another side to him; one that he rarely showed but one that existed all the same. Maybe, if she was extremely lucky, she would be able to see it again.

……………

Toshiro headed back in the direction of Dorm 2, deciding he might as well finish his work outside seeing how it was such a nice day out. The breeze wasn't too strong so he wouldn't have too many problems with wind and as long as he stayed out of the main campus area he shouldn't have to deal with too many distractions.

"Ah Hitsugaya; it's good to see you out and enjoying the weather." Toshiro turned to see Aizen standing behind him, a pleasant smile on his face and a large English text book in his hands. The young man nodded, a bit caught off guard by the way the teacher seemed to have materialized out of thin air. Aizen continued, seemingly undeterred by Toshiro's silence.

"I saw you playing soccer with the new boy. A nice action to be sure, yet not something I would have expected from you," he said to him. Toshiro's eyes narrowed but he bit back the biting retort that had risen to his lips, instead replying with:

"He wants to try out for the team on Tuesday; I just wanted to see how experienced he was," he answered. Aizen nodded.

"And was he? He seemed to be holding his own against you quite well," he commented. Toshiro shrugged.

"I think he'll be fine," he answered shortly. Aizen smiled, his brown hair blowing in the breeze.

"Well that's good to hear. This is my stop, enjoy the weather," he said. Toshiro nodded once and continued walking, leaving the teacher behind him. Aizen was…interesting to say the least. He was always smiling and had a kind word to say to everybody so it wasn't unusual that he was a favorite amongst the students. Even so, Toshiro couldn't help but feel that there was something just a little bit off about the man; something not quite genuine in those smiles of his. He couldn't say why he felt that way and he knew if he mentioned it to anybody they would simply laugh it off so he kept his thoughts to himself.

And then there was Hinamori. Who knew the scrawny, timid new kid would have been such a good player? His reflexes and ball control was spot on and he had almost managed to get the ball away from Toshiro on a couple of occasions…almost.

The boy shoved his hands into his pockets, his mind going a million miles a minute. If Hisagi saw the same potential in the new kid that he did, then Hinamori was a definite shoo-in for the death gods. Yet like Aizen, though clearly not in the same way, there was something a little off about his roommate. He was too…innocent? No that wasn't the word. Cute? Definitely not. Hitsugaya huffed and kicked a loose stone with his foot, watching it tumble down the sidewalk before coming to a halt about twenty feet away. It was a matter he could think over at another time. Seeing how they were going to be roommates for the next year there was plenty of time to get to know him better and hopefully figure out the mystery that was Masaki Hinamori.

…………

**Alright thank you so much everyone for the reviews, they inspire me to write more and update faster! Just FYI, I wrote a one shot fic centered around Hinamori and Hitsugaya that takes place after the events of Diamond Dust Rebellion. If you're interested in reading it it's in my profile titled: I Found You. I really hope you enjoyed this chapter, I had a lot of fun writing the scene with Momo and Toshiro. I'll do my best to update soon!**

**~Phoenix**


	5. Fight

**A/N: Just wanted to say to everybody thank you so much for all of your support through these past four chapters. I had no idea upon posting that this story would be as successful as it has been and I'm so happy that you are all enjoying it! Thank you so much for all of your encouragement and comments; they get me through the day! So without further ado we have chapter five…**

……………

Momo closed her dorm room door behind her, covering a yawn with her hand and brushing her bangs out of her eyes with the other. Who knew taking a walk around campus would have resulted so well? Flopping back on her bed she stared up at the ceiling, reminiscing on the afternoon. She had never seen a soccer player move as fluidly with the ball as Hitsugaya had, nor had she seen anyone control it so well, each small movement he made with his feet confident and purposeful. Maybe, if she made the team that is, he would kick it around with her again.

Bored she scanned her dark eyes across the room's contents, taking in all its little details before they finally rested on a small stack of notebooks sitting on Hitsugaya's bookshelf. Just like that a light bulb went off in her head. She still had yet to buy school supplies for the year and classes were beginning the following day! She really had turned into a scatterbrain upon coming to this place… Sighing she rolled off the bed and walked over to the chest of drawers, opening her top one and pulling out her wallet. She didn't know why she kept it there but for some reason she had always felt uncomfortable leaving it sitting out places. Not that she thought her roommate would steal it or anything; she'd just always been weird that way.

Her parents had given her just enough money for a book bag, a smattering of notebooks, a calculator, and of course the necessary pens and pencils that she would need for her various classes. Now all she had to do was locate a place in which to buy the supplies. Seeing how she had no idea where anything on Ryouta's campus was located, this posed a problem. Getting to her feet she headed over to the door, supposing she could just ask someone. If she was lucky, she might run into one of the people she'd met last night and they could point her in the right direction.

Reaching for the doorknob she was taken completely by surprise when it seemed to turn of its own accord and the next thing she knew the door was being pushed in at an alarming rate, bashing her in the forehead and sending her sprawling to the ground.

"Eh? Hinamori?" Blinking through the stars dancing in front of her eyes Momo glanced up to see Hitsugaya staring down at her, his eyebrows raised in surprise. "It's kind of a dumb idea to stand in front of the door like that." Momo glared at him, rubbing her sore forehead with her fingers.

"I wasn't standing in front of it! I was about to walk out when you barged in!" she protested, getting to her feet and trying not to appear too humiliated. If she got hit in the head one more time she was going to have to consider wearing a helmet around campus.

"Whatever you say," the boy replied with a small smirk before walking past her and grabbing his backpack from where it lay on the floor and heading back towards the door. Momo blinked.

"Where are you going?" she asked. He paused, giving her a quick look.

"The library. I have to finish typing up this report," he responded shortly. Momo nodded, trying not to feel too disappointed. It wasn't like he would have wanted to go with her anyway. "Why?" She looked back up at him and smiled sheepishly.

"O-oh no reason. I just have to go get my school supplies and I wasn't exactly sure where the store is," she answered truthfully. Hitsugaya snorted and shook his head.

"You are aware classes begin tomorrow right?" he asked her. The girl scowled at him.

"Yes I'm aware! Never mind I'll just go ask someone else! Have fun writing your report!" she snapped before brushing past him and stomping down the hall, leaving her roommate far behind her. Once she was sure he was out of eyeshot she paused in the middle of the hallway, back at square one. Maybe she could ask Renji if he'd go with her; he'd been friendly enough yesterday. Frowning she tried to remember his room number, knowing he'd showed her the day before while giving her a tour of the dorms. Now if only she could think of which one it was…

Hearing footsteps she turned in their direction, hoping that by some miracle it would be Renji coming around the corner. Unfortunately it wasn't the redhead but in fact the ridiculously tall kid she had met the day before, Chad if she remembered correctly. Maybe he could point her in Renji's direction. He glanced down (way down) at her as he passed and gave her a small smile.

"Hey new guy," he said shortly and would have continued to walk by had she not stopped him.

"Um, can you tell me which room Renji's in?" she asked, craning her neck so she could see his face.

"201," Chad replied and Momo got the feeling he wasn't a man of many words.

"Thank you," she said to him. Chad's lips quirked into a lopsided smile and he flashed a thumbs up sign.

"Sure thing," he responded before once more heading off down the hallway. Taking a deep breath Momo glanced around only to see that room 201 was in fact directly behind her. A faint blush rose to her cheeks and she hoped Chad hadn't thought she was a complete idiot… Oh well, nothing she could do about it now.

Gathering her courage she swallowed and knocked three times on the door before taking a hesitant step back and waiting. At first she didn't hear any sound of response on the other side and she couldn't help but wonder if perhaps there was no one in. Then the sound of heavy footsteps could be heard approaching and the next thing she knew the door was swung inwards and she was looking up into Renji's bleary dark eyes. He blinked down at her with a pained expression on his face and Momo got the sinking feeling that he probably wasn't going to be up for going out any time soon.

"What?" he asked, leaning against the door, eyes going in and out of focus.

"Um…" Momo squeaked, wanting nothing more than to run down the hall and back into the safety of her dorm. _You're going to need to grow a backbone before trying out for the team…_ Hitsugaya's words echoed in her mind and she immediately scrunched up her fists, looked Renji in the eye and blurted out:

"Idontknowwherethestoreisandiwaswonderingifmaybeyoucouldshowme!" Renji blinked at her.

"The hell…?" he trailed off, raising an eyebrow, wincing, and immediately lowering it again. Momo cleared her throat and tried again. Backbone, she reminded herself.

"I have to pick up some school supplies before classes start tomorrow and I was wondering if you wanted to come," she said to him. There was about a three second pause before the redhead responded.

"No." Stepping back into the comfort of his dark room he placed a hand on the doorknob and shut it in her face with a bang. Momo blinked and stared at the smooth wood of the closed door, her brain rapidly making mental notes never to talk to Renji the day after a drinking party. But now what was she supposed to do? Hitsugaya was writing his report, Renji clearly wanted nothing to do with her at the moment and she hadn't seen Ichigo in the room. Maybe she could go back to the welcome center and see if Kira was working. Or, she thought to herself, I could just knock on his door and check that way.

Heading off down the hall she reviewed the conversation she'd had with the blonde in her head, remembering he'd told her that he was staying in room 205 if she needed anything. Well now was as good a time as any to talk to him and if her luck held, he would still be in the dorm. It didn't take her long to arrive seeing how his dorm was only a few down from Renji's and she paused for a second before stealing her nerves and knocking on his door. Not ten seconds later the door was being opened and she found herself looking up into Kira's face, his expression breaking into a smile upon seeing her.

"Hinamori! Hey, how're you doing?" he asked her. Momo grinned at him in response.

"Uh I'm okay. Actually though I have a question for you," she said to him. He nodded.

"Yeah, what can I help you with?"

"I haven't gotten school supplies for classes yet and I was wondering if you could maybe tell me where the store is located? I still don't really know where anything is," she said to him. Kira nodded.

"Yeah no problem. Actually I'm not really up to much right now; I could go with you if you'd like," he offered.

"Really? You'd do that?" Momo asked. Kira laughed.

"Sure! Don't sound so surprised, you act like we're all a bunch of cold hearted jerks here. Granted you are living with Hitsugaya so if he's any example…" Momo shrugged.

"He's not so bad…" she murmured.

"Hm, what was that?" Kira asked, glancing down at her. The girl rapidly shook her head.

"N-nothing! Come on, let's go!" Kira grinned as he looked at her flustered face and for some reason his heart skipped a beat. The boy blinked and took a step back into his room.

"Y-yeah I'll be right there, just let me get my shoes on," he said. Momo nodded.

"Alright!"

…………

The two made their way out of the dorms and onto the campus, making their way past Ryouta's welcome center and instead further away from campus.

"So is this place very far?" Momo asked. Kira shook his head.

"Nah, it's just about two blocks from here. It really shouldn't take us more than a couple of minutes to get there," he responded. Momo nodded and the two walked in silence for a minute before she spoke up.

"So Renji said you were on the soccer team right?" Kira nodded and waited for her to continue. "So are try outs…are try outs really tough?" she asked, biting her lip as she waited for his response. Kira shrugged.

"Well yeah it's pretty competitive. Shinsui Kyoraku is our coach though he mostly leaves things up to Hisagi when it comes to actually assigning players to the team. Hitsugaya's younger but he also has a lot of influence when it comes to picking the players. He's a super star on the field but also can see a player's potential which is a huge asset when it comes to deciding the team," he said to her. Hinamori nodded her head, wondering what Hitsugaya had thought of her when they'd played each other earlier. Hopefully she hadn't made a fool out of herself.

Rounding a corner they passed out of sight of the Ryouta campus and instead came to a rather busy intersection with cars whirring past from four sides, a tall metal stoplight flashing red, warning pedestrians against crossing. There was a line of small shops across the street and Momo noticed one on the end labeled Paper Paradise and she wouldn't be surprised if that was where they ended up going. Sure enough not two seconds later the light turned green and as they were crossing the street Kira pointed to it and said:

"That's the place everyone goes to for supplies around here. It's a decent shop so you should be able to find what you're looking for," he said to her. Momo nodded and the two made their way inside. A bell jingled from somewhere deep within the store and the clerk behind the counter gave them a tired smile.

"Welcome," he said in a bored tone. Momo smiled and nodded while Kira gave the guy a slight wave.

"So what are you looking for first?" the blonde asked her. Momo hesitated, running through her mental checklist.

"Um pencils I guess," she responded. Kira nodded and headed off towards aisle 6 that had the picture of a large pencil placed over the top of it.

The two spent the next half hour going through the aisles and getting Momo a decent supply of notebooks, pencils, pens, a calculator, and a ruler. Bringing her purchases up to the counter, Momo handed over the money before heading out of the store, supplies in hand. Turning to Kira she smiled up at him, her eyes sparkling as she said:

"Thank you for coming with me. I know it wasn't far but I really appreciate it," she said to him. Kira looked down at her and his cheeks tinged slightly pink at the expression on her face.

"Yeah no problem," he responded rapidly dropping his gaze and instead returning it to the sidewalk in front of them. What in the world was wrong with him? Momo failed to notice his strange behavior and instead happily continued forward only to narrowly avoid being whacked in the face by the heavy door of Bruce's Bike Shop, stumbling backwards as two people made their way out. They were both male, one had shocking blue hair and piercing blue eyes, his mouth folded down into a scowl, long fingers clenched into fists. The second was a hair shorter than the first with dark black hair falling into sad looking emerald eyes. Two thin green streaks were tattooed from his eyes to his jaw as though permanently marking paths created by tears time and time again. Momo immediately felt Kira tense beside her and she got the feeling these were people he knew and clearly didn't care for. The blue haired guy paused as soon as he laid eyes on them and his scowl immediately turned into an amused sneer.

"Well look who it is," he said snidely, crossing his long arms over his chest and fixing Kira with a narrow eyed glare. The blonde frowned and Momo could tell he was trying to think of the easiest way to get them out of this predicament.

"Hello Grimmjow, Ulquiorra," he muttered though he sounded anything but happy to see them. The blue haired one, Grimmjow, sneered and took a step forward though paused when he saw Momo.

"Who's this shrimp?" he asked, icy eyes boring into Momo's soft brown ones.

"Masaki Hinamori, he's new to Ryouta," Kira answered sounding more and more uncomfortable by the second.

"You sure you met the height requirement?" Momo scowled, Grimmjow's comment striking a nerve. If one more person commented on her height…

"We should go, it's getting late," Kira said in an unsuccessful attempt to pass by the two others. Grabbing Momo's arm he pulled her forward and past the two guys, his eyes trained ahead, clearly doing his best to ignore Grimmjow's amused smirk. Quick as a flash the blue haired kid stuck his foot out, catching Kira's ankle and sending him sprawling to the ground, his chin catching painfully on the cement. Momo managed to right herself before she was dragged down with him yet it was a close call and as soon as her balance was regained she whirled on Grimmjow, eyes narrowed angrily. Grimmjow however, paid her no mind.

"Heh, try to grow some balls by the next time I see you," he said to the blonde before turning on his heel and heading in the opposite direction. This time however, he'd crossed the line.

"Hey!" Momo shouted, not really sure what she was doing until the words were already out of her mouth. There was a pause and Grimmjow stopped moving forward before slowly turning to face her, one eyebrow raised curiously.

"What?" he snarled. Momo blanched but after taking one quick look at Kira who was still flat on his back on the ground she summoned up her courage and swallowed hard.

"Where do you get off doing something like that? Apologize!" she demanded, wondering what the hell she was getting herself into. Apparently she had taken Hitsugaya's backbone comment a little too much to heart. Grimmjow stared at her like she had just grown an extra head before throwing his head back and bursting into loud gales of laughter. Momo bit her lip, not really sure how to react to this new turn of events. It would probably make her feel a little better if Kira would decide to get off his butt and back on his feet. Finally the blue haired boy's laughter ceased and he once more turned his gaze to Momo.

"What'd he say your name was again?" he asked her.

"Masaki Hinamori," Momo responded, hoping her voice wasn't quivering as much as it felt like it was. Grimmjow nodded slowly, looking from her to Kira and back again before his sneer disappeared, only to be replaced by an ugly scowl.

"I would sooner fuck my mother than apologize to that trash," he said to her, his voice low, eyes flashing dangerously. Momo swallowed, not liking the fact that he was moving closer towards her, his mouth once more turned up in a dangerous smirk, cracking his knuckles intimidatingly. "And you ought to be taught a lesson for speaking up to me." Kira was on his feet in an instant, putting himself between Momo and Grimmjow.

"L-look he's sorry! Please, just leave us alone and we won't bother you again," he stammered, clearly trying to sound brave but Momo could see his limbs shaking. This Grimmjow guy terrified him. Quick as a flash the blue haired young man balled his hand into a fist and sent it flying forwards, making contact with Kira's face, a loud crack cutting through the air. Momo gasped as the blonde went down, clutching his nose which was now bleeding profusely. She was about to go to his side when she noticed Grimmjow now had his eyes on his next target…her. Swallowing Momo watched him come closer, taking deep breaths in an attempt to calm her racing heart.

"Round two," he murmured before throwing his fist at her. The girl jumped to the side, letting his fist make contact with the air where she had been standing, sending him slightly off balance. Heart pounding in her chest she glanced around wildly for any escape from this situation. Despite the commotion they were making no cars had pulled over and no shopkeepers had run out of the stores. It was like someone getting punched in the face was a regular occurrence around this part of town. Kira was still on the ground clutching his nose and Momo got the feeling he wouldn't be moving anywhere anytime soon. Out of the corner of her eye she saw Grimmjow swing at her again and she stepped to the side, fear making her eyes wide, her heart feeling about ready to leap from her chest.

An explosion of pain just below her left eye sent her reeling backwards as Grimmjow's elbow finally made contact with her face and time slowed to a crawl as several things happened at once. Momo heard the sound of pounding footsteps racing towards them as she fell backwards, tripping over Kira's leg and falling towards the busy street beside them. She had time to look up and see a pair of headlights coming at her, the sound of a horn blaring, and someone shouting her name as she squeezed her eyes shut and waited for impact. The next thing she knew a strong hand was grabbing her arm and she was being yanked back towards the sidewalk, the car zooming past and missing her by inches. Glancing up to see her savior she was surprised to see none other than Aizen, the man who had introduced himself as the English teacher the previous day, his hands gripping her shoulders protectively, dark eyes fixed on Grimmjow, a frown on his face.

"I think that's quite enough of that," he murmured softly though his voice held dangerous undercurrents clearly audible to the raging blue haired young man. Grimmjow scowled and took a step forward though paused as Ulquiorra placed a pale, restraining hand on his shoulder.

"He's right; that's enough," he said simply before turning and walking away without another word. Grimmjow huffed and spat on the ground at Momo's feet.

"You haven't seen the last of me," he snarled before turning over his shoulder and following in his companions footsteps. Aizen sighed and shook his head, taking a step away from Momo and smiling down at her.

"Are you alright? That was quite the scare you must have had," he said to her. Momo nodded her head, his pleasant scent completely enveloping her senses, handsome features captivating her gaze. He really was an amazing person… Blinking she shook her head, pulling herself out of her euphoric state enough to respond.

"Uh-huh, thank you so much," she told him. He nodded once to her before turning to Kira who had slowly begun to get up but was still holding one hand to his nose in a failed attempt to stop the blood flow.

"We should get you to the nurse," Aizen stated simply, placing a steadying hand on the young man's back. "Hinamori, can you make it back to the dorm alright?" he asked her. Momo nodded rapidly.

"I'll be fine, Kira definitely takes top priority!" she responded. Aizen smiled at her sending a wave of warmth through her veins and she could feel her face begin to heat up as well.

"Good," he responded. "It is fortunate indeed I ran out of pencil lead today and was able to come to your aid. Those two boys are from Mundo high, a school a couple blocks down from here. If I'm not mistaken they play for their soccer team so you will most likely run into them again, that is if you make the team," he said to her. "From what Hitsugaya tells me I have utmost faith in your ability to do so." Momo immediately felt her face flush and she dropped her gaze to the ground. Hitsugaya was talking about her?

"Thank you sir," she responded. Aizen nodded.

"Well take care of yourself and get some ice for your cheek," he said to her. Momo nodded again.

"I'll do that, thank you," she replied, beginning to feel like a broken record. With another smile and a wave Aizen and Kira headed off in the direction of campus, apparently taking a different route than the one the blonde had shown her. Shrugging Momo turned up the block, carefully crossing the street and heading in the direction of dorm 2. Her cheek was smarting like crazy and she was sporting a rather large scrape on her knee from when she'd almost gotten hit by that speeding car. That had been a close call. If Aizen hadn't shown up when he did things could have gotten a lot messier… Momo shuddered, doing her best not to think about that.

She walked gratefully back onto Ryouta's campus, her mind filled with images of the fight and Grimmjow, the angry student from Mundo. He had exploded at practically nothing and Momo was having an especially difficult job getting his dangerous smirk out of her mind. However despite his behavior, that of his friend almost bothered her more. The fact that the other boy had just stood there and watched it all happen without raising a finger to help either side really bothered her. It was like he'd had no interest in the events taking place right in front of him, like he didn't care if they, or Grimmjow for that matter, got hurt. Not only that but the way he had told Grimmjow it was time to leave and Grimmjow had actually listened to him! That had surprised her most of all. Granted she didn't know the blue haired boy at all and Aizen had been standing right there, but even so he didn't seem the type to take orders from anybody.

Sighing she glanced up only to find herself at the entrance to Dorm 2, the building looming welcomingly in front of her. Stepping through the door she headed up the staircase and down the hall to her dorm, slipping the room key from her pocket and inserting it into the lock. Pushing the door inward she stepped inside, surprised to see Hitsugaya sitting on the bed, leaning comfortably against his headboard, a thick novel in his hand. He didn't say anything to acknowledge her presence but Momo had hardly expected him to. Just because they had kicked the soccer ball around didn't mean that he had decided to warm up to her no matter how much she would have liked him to. Letting the breath whoosh from her lungs she dropped the bag with her school items onto her bed, wincing as her cheek chose that moment to throb painfully.

"Um Hitsugaya…?" she asked quietly. He grunted in response, not taking his eyes from the book pages.

"Do you have a first aid kit anywhere?" she inquired. The boy finally glanced up from his novel, eyes narrowing when he saw her bruised face and skinned knee.

"What happened to you?" he asked, ignoring her earlier question. Momo shifted nervously, wondering if she should tell him about the fight she had been in with Grimmjow. Deciding it would be better not to lie to him seeing how she was trying her best to support the whole 'roommate bonding thing' she opened her mouth, letting the story spill from her lips. Hitsugaya listened silently; shifting his position at one point and setting the novel down on the bed, remaining quiet even after Momo finished the story. She looked at him expectantly, awaiting some kind of reaction.

"You say Aizen showed up to help you?" he asked. The girl nodded.

"Uh-huh. We were lucky he showed up when he did," she responded. Hitsugaya nodded though for some reason he didn't seem completely thrilled with that piece of news. Instead he suddenly stood up from the bed, making his way across the room and towards the door.

"Um, where are you going?" Momo asked him curiously. Hitsugaya shrugged.

"Out for a minute, stay here," he replied shortly. Momo blinked but before she could think of a decent reply he'd already vanished into the hallway. He wasn't gone long and Momo had just started to sort through her new belongings when he walked back inside, a small blue container in one hand and a bag of ice in another.

"Here put this on that bruise," he instructed, tossing the bag of ice to her. She caught it, doing her best to shove down the happy feeling suddenly stirring in her gut. Apparently he wasn't completely heartless after all. She felt the bed shift and glancing to her right she found he was now sitting beside her on the bed, opening the blue container and pulling out some Neosporin and a pack of band aids. "You're going to want to clean that cut so it doesn't get infected and make sure to put the band aids on after you're done," he said to her. Momo stared at him for a second before a grin broke out on her face.

"Thank you so much!" she exclaimed, wanting to throw her arms around him to show her appreciation and remembering at the last second that she was supposed to be a guy and that would make things awkward. Hitsugaya shrugged before standing and heading back over to his side of the room but not before pausing to make sure she was treating her wounds correctly. Only once he'd made sure she put on the disinfectant, plastered the band aid across her cut, and had the ice pressed comfortably against her face did he return to his bed and pick up the novel from where it had been tossed aside.

"Stay out of trouble bed-wetter," he muttered. Momo glanced up sharply and was about to make a retort when she saw a small smile playing across his lips before it was quickly hidden behind his usual stoic expression. Smiling to herself she shifted her grip on the ice bag in her hand and lay back on the bed, for the first time looking forward to what this upcoming year had in store for her.

……………

**Wow I apologize for this chapter's ridiculous lateness. I'm not going to make excuses only say that I am now officially graduated from high school and b/c of this once more have my life back. Now that summer vacation is in full swing I should be able to be getting out more updates definitely a lot sooner than this one was posted. My bad! Hopefully Grimmjow and Ulquiorra were in character, I haven't studied their personalities as much as everyone else and hopefully it's not too apparent. I will do my best to have an update out soon! Thank you so much for all your support, I love you all!!**

**~Phoenix**


	6. Urahara's

**A/N: Hey thanks to everyone who reviewed my last chapter! I did my best to get this one out much sooner than the last one, once again sorry for that delay! Now without further ado we have chapter six!!!!**

Beep! Beep! Beep! Momo squeezed her eyes shut, desperately trying to tune out the irritating beeping sound and hold onto the last remnants of sleep already rapidly dissipating from her mind. Groaning she rolled over, trying to bury her head deeper into the pillow. Unfortunately the ringing reached her even there and she was forced at last to reach out an arm, swatting blindly around for the cause of the irritating beeping. Her hand landed on her cell phone and she blearily opened her eyes, glaring at the small mechanical device as it flashed ALARM over and over again across the tiny luminescent screen.

Sighing she flipped it open, selecting dismiss from the task menu and slowly sitting up, rubbing the sleep from her eyes. The tiny digital in her hand read 5:45 A.M, a ridiculously inhumane hour for anybody in their right mind to be awake. Unfortunately for her however, she had to bathe at some point and this ridiculously early hour of the morning was the only time in which she wouldn't have to worry about high school boys barging in on her. Grumbling to herself she rolled out of bed, pausing momentarily to glance over to where she could just barely make out a tuft of white hair poking out from beneath her roommate's blankets. Momo had pegged the young man as an early riser and because of this had set her alarm for an even earlier hour than she was originally planning to. Classes didn't start until 8:15 and even with his genius reputation, Hitsugaya was still a high school boy and high school boys loved to sleep.

Tiptoeing over to her drawers she pulled one open as quietly as she could, rummaging around inside until she located her uniform and pulled it out. The white button up shirt and gray slacks was a tad on the wrinkled side but it wasn't anything too noticeable and the black tie would cover up most of them anyway. Shutting that drawer and opening the top one she pulled out a pair of white socks before grabbing her soap and other toiletries from the back corner beneath one of her larger sweatshirts, shoving the drawer back in, picking up her shoes from their place by the wall and slinking out the door.

The halls were silent as she made her way down them though every once in awhile the sounds of deep breathing or blatant snoring issued out from behind the one of the doors. Shaking her head she thanked her lucky stars that Hitsugaya was a silent sleeper. The bathroom was just down the next hallway and she crept around the corner, breathing a silent sigh of relief upon seeing that this too was empty. Tiptoeing the final distance between herself and the baths she placed her hand on the doorknob and pushed in, slipping silently inside the deserted room and shutting the door behind her. She knew she would have to be quick in order to avoid disaster and it was with this idea in mind that she rapidly stripped down and jumped in, reaching for the soap as soon as her foot touched the tub's smooth bottom.

Bathing faster than she ever had before, Momo finished in barely five minutes, leaping out of the tub again and immediately wrapping a towel around herself. Her uniform lay folded on a nearby bench and she picked it up, stepping behind a nearby outcropping in the wall in case anyone did happen to walk in at this hour. The girl changed quickly, not breathing a sigh of relief until her wraps were firmly around her chest and her uniform was tightly secured on her body. Shaking her head she walked towards the door, wondering just how much more of this her nerves would be able to handle.

The hallways were still silent when Momo stepped out which she was perfectly okay with. Anyone wandering around would probably be wondering what in the world she was doing up so early though it wouldn't be hard to guess if her wet hair was any kind of giveaway. Rounding the corner she headed back to her dorm room, sleepily inserting the key into the lock and pushing the door in. Glancing up she froze mid step, her face heating up one hundred degrees in less than a second, her heart skipping several beats in a row. Hitsugaya was clearly awake seeing how he was standing in the middle of the room, his pajamas consisting of baggy blue flannel pants and only baggy blue flannel pants. If Momo thought he may have a nice body before she was definitely convinced now.

Her roommate turned to look at her, his green eyes meeting her wide brown ones, eyebrows raised at the expression on her face. The girl rapidly shook her head and walked fully inside, averting her eyes from the boy and shutting the door behind her. It was times like this that made it exceedingly awkward to be a girl pretending to be a guy. No boy, well no straight boy that is, would have gaped at their shirtless roommate like that even if he was exceedingly hot and had the body of a Greek sex god.

"What were you doing up so early?" Hitsugaya's question caught her off guard and Momo rapidly wracked her brains to try to come up with a decent answer.

"Uh, n-nerves I guess. I was nervous about today so I couldn't sleep and just kind of gave up," she responded. The boy nodded, clearly buying her excuse to her immense relief.

"There's nothing to be nervous about. The teacher's are kind of weird but they won't physically attack you. You've already met people willing to hang out with you so you don't have to worry about whether or not you'll make friends. Just don't stutter and apologize for every little thing and you'll be fine," he told her in a very matter of fact tone.

"R-right," Momo replied before catching herself and wincing. Hitsugaya rolled his eyes but for once didn't make any retorts, instead grabbing his perfectly folded uniform from his chest of drawers and heading out the door without another word to the girl. Momo sighed and flopped back on her bed. Maybe he was right; maybe everything would work out as easily as he made it sound. Then again, she thought with a roll of her eyes, Hitsugaya wasn't a teenage girl trying to fit in at a school full of high school boys with raging hormones. That tiny little detail might prove to make things just a tad bit more difficult for her.

Refusing to let it get to her Momo rolled over and grabbed her class schedule from her bedside table, scanning her eyes down the list. First up was math with a man by name of Kuchiki followed by art with a teacher called Kyoraku. Momo paused and stared at that name, wondering where she had heard it before. A light bulb went off in her head as she remembered Kira telling her the day before that Shinsui Kyoraku was the coach of Ryouta's soccer team and that fact intrigued her. She had had a picture in her head of the soccer coach teaching gym or something a little more along those lines. Seeing how well known Ryouta was for its soccer players she had always pictured its coach being a big buff guy with a bald head and a strict no nonsense attitude. Somehow she couldn't picture someone like that teaching something like art. Well she would see soon enough.

Science was after Art taught by a Mayuri Kurotsuchi while History followed afterwards with someone by name of Ukitake. After that she had a study hall for a period with her gym class taking place afterwards instructed by a man by name of Tessai. Last in line was English taught by:

"Aizen…" Momo murmured, his name stirring up memories of the day before. She wondered how Kira was doing and if Grimmjow had actually broken his nose upon punching him in the face. If she ended up seeing the blonde at some point that day she would have to ask him. All at once she heard the sound of a key being set into the lock and the doorknob turned admitting a freshly bathed Hitsugaya. Fortunately, though Momo couldn't help feeling a little disappointed, he was now fully clothed in his Ryouta High uniform, tie and all.

"Welcome back," Momo said to him. The boy grunted before taking one look at the schedule in her hand and yanking it from her grip.

"Hey I need that!" she protested jumping to her feet and reaching for it. Hitsugaya easily stepped away from her, turning his back to the girl and instead looking over the schedule in his hand, blatantly ignoring the miffed expression on his roommate's face. After a minute he returned it to her and she snatched it back, holding it away from him protectively. Hitsugaya snorted and turned towards his bed, grabbing his backpack from the floor and sifting through it.

"We have English and History together," he said to her, grabbing a large textbook from the bag and dropping it on his bed. Momo blinked. So that's what he'd been doing.

"Oh. Well cool I guess," she responded. Hitsugaya shrugged before shouldering his backpack and heading towards the door for a second time. Momo glanced up at him, standing as well.

"Where are you going?" she asked.

"To class, where do you think?" he responded. The girl frowned.

"But it's only 6:45. Class doesn't start until 8:15, you still have over an hour," she replied. Hitsugaya shrugged.

"I like to study before the classrooms get really loud and I was going to pick up some breakfast from Urahara's before leaving anyway," he responded.

"Oh…" Momo replied, once more fixing her eyes on the ground. She wanted to go with him as she was hungry herself but wasn't sure if she would be intruding if she asked… Hitsugaya sighed and opened the door though paused just underneath the doorframe.

"Well are you coming or not bed-wetter?" he asked her. Momo's head shot up and she stared at him, for the moment completely discarding the fact that he'd called her bed-wetter again. Was he actually…?

"Really?" she asked. Hitsugaya shrugged.

"Well maybe if you get that stupid expression off your face. Seriously you act like no one's ever asked you to do anything before," he responded. Momo shook her head rapidly.

"No that's not-! I mean-! Yeah I'm coming!"she replied, quickly grabbing her bag from where she'd set it the night before and falling into step beside him.

"You have your room key?" Hitsugaya asked her. Momo opened her mouth to reply that she did though immediately closed it upon glancing behind her and seeing it sitting on her headboard. Cheeks tinged red she grinned sheepishly at the boy before hurrying back into the room, grabbing it, and once more stepping into the hall. Hitsugaya only shook his head at her before shutting the door behind him and heading off down the hallway. Momo hurried to keep up with him, hoping she wouldn't trip or do anything else to embarrass herself in front of this boy.

……………

The two made their way across the still stirring campus, heading in the direction Momo and Kira had gone the day before though instead of turning towards the busy intersection Hitsugaya took a left, heading onto a quieter, less bustling street. Momo followed him, looking around her as she did so. This block was also lined with various shops selling a variety of goods to their customers though she noticed that most of them weren't open yet. Hitsugaya passed several of them by without a second glance and Momo had to hurry to keep up and avoid falling behind. Not a moment later the boy paused in front of a small café, the word _Urahara's_ scrawled across the top in flowing cursive lettering. The picture of a black cat was placed on the end, bright yellow eyes staring down at them. Momo would have stared at it longer but Toshiro was already disappearing inside leaving her with not much choice but to follow him.

The café was small yet cozy with several booths placed by the large windows while various smaller tables were scattered here and there across a checkered tile floor. The aroma of newly brewed coffee wafted forward on the pleasant breeze created by two circulating fans attached to the café's ceiling and the sound of quietly clinking silverware echoed pleasantly in Momo's ears from the few people already present and seated here.

Hitsugaya had already made his way to the counter and was now conversing with a tall blonde man at the register. Momo hesitantly approached as well though froze when the man's eyes drifted to her, a welcoming smile immediately splitting his face in two.

"Well hello there and welcome! My name's Urahara owner of this simple café; how may I be of service to you?" he asked pleasantly. Momo blinked, a little taken aback by the man's friendly, flamboyant attitude.

"Settle down Kisuke, you're freaking him out." Surprised, Momo looked to the new arrival that had so suddenly appeared from the back of the shop and her mouth fell open. It was a woman with startling golden eyes, long flowing hair, and the body of a super model with skin tanned to perfection, not a single blemish in sight. Clearly there was some kind of unwritten law requiring that anyone living in or around Ryouta's campus had to be drop dead gorgeous in order to stay. Hell even Urahara looked like he could have been a model at some point and she wasn't even going to get started on Hitsugaya. The woman had begun to speak again and Momo rapidly cleared her head of her earlier thoughts, instead tuning in to what she had to say.

"Toshiro tells us that you're new to Ryouta. Welcome to the area," she said with a smile which Momo promptly returned.

"Thank you very much ma'am," she responded. The woman raised an eyebrow and elbowed Urahara in the ribs.

"The kid has manners. Clearly you could learn a thing or two from him, Kisuke," she commented with a grin. The blonde man shrugged.

"Aw come on, you know you wouldn't want me any other way," he cooed, slinging an arm around the woman's shoulders in a kind of half hug which she quickly ducked away from. Shaking her head at Urahara, she turned back to Momo.

"Don't worry about formalities. Toshiro's a regular here and seeing how you're a friend of his please feel free to call me Yoruichi," she said to her. Momo nodded, already falling in love with the small café's comfortable décor and the fun loving personalities of the two in charge.

"Now back to business! What can we get for you?" Urahara asked, clapping his hands together and looking at Momo expectantly. The girl blinked, unprepared for a response as she hadn't even glanced at the options yet.

"Um…" she trailed off, her eyes scanning the menu choices rapidly as she tried to decide on something. The word pancakes suddenly popped up in her vision and her eyes lit up, her mouth already beginning to water.

"I'll take the short stack pancakes please with orange juice," she said to them. Urahara nodded and flashed another grin her way.

"Alright, we'll have that up for you soon. Please feel free to take a seat," he said. Momo nodded and stepped away from the counter, following Hitsugaya to a booth by the window. The white haired boy immediately pulled a book from his bag and plopped it down on the table, opening it to a specific page and immersing himself in its contents. Momo sat down across from him, staring dejectedly at her roommate and the stupid book that was destroying any possible chances she could have had at actually starting a decent conversation with him. Unsure what else to do she fidgeted with a loose string on her shirt, tugging halfheartedly at the thread in a lame attempt to pull it off. Hearing approaching footsteps Momo glanced over to see Urahara walking towards her, a cup of orange juice in one hand and a steaming mug of coffee in the other.

The man raised one eyebrow as he took in the situation before him, setting the beverages down in front of Momo and Hitsugaya and proceeding to cross his arms over his chest.

"That's quite the warm welcome you're giving your friend there, Toshiro," he said dryly, stepping back to wait for the boy's reaction. Hitsugaya merely grunted and continued reading, flipping a page in the book as though to further prove his disinterest in the conversation. Urahara sighed and shook his head. "And here I was going to treat you both to your breakfast as celebration for a new school year but it looks like I'll only be treating Hinamori…" he trailed off, once again peering intently at the white haired boy and waiting for his response. If he was hoping for one he was sorely disappointed as Hitsugaya made no reply at all, instead lazily shifting his position so his chin was resting in the cup of his hand and trailing his finger idly down the page. Urahara frowned and suddenly stepped forward, poking the younger boy in the forehead with the tip of his index finger.

"Ouch! What the hell?!" Hitsugaya seethed, glaring up at the grinning store owner.

"Ah, it has emotion after all," Urahara commented, his grin widening while Hitsugaya's frown deepened. The boy opened his mouth to make a retort though was cut off by the sound of a loud snort. Momo immediately clapped a hand over her mouth as she attempted to contain her laughter, her eyes tearing up from the effort it was taking.

"S-sorry!" she gasped looking at Hitsugaya. "It's just; your expression was so funny!" The boy blinked at her, clearly having not expected this kind of reaction from his usually shy roommate. Rolling his eyes he shut his book and shoved it back into his bag, massaging his temples with his fingers.

"I can't get anything done with you people can I?" he muttered. Momo grinned apologetically while Urahara merely shook his head.

"You have plenty of time to study later Toshiro. Your friend is clearly not completely comfortable in his new surroundings yet so it wouldn't kill you to at least try to help him out a little. Rising above the social capacity of a rock would be a good start," he commented lazily before giving the two a small wave and once more disappearing behind the counter. Momo looked guiltily at the boy sitting across from her who was still glaring after Urahara, a curdling expression on his face. If looks could kill the café owner would undoubtedly already be a pile of mush on the ground. Biting her lip she decided to speak up.

"Look I appreciate you taking me here but I'm really okay if you want to study," she said to him. Hitsugaya glanced back at her and shrugged haphazardly.

"It doesn't really matter," he replied shortly. Momo blinked.

"Okay," she replied, sincerely wishing he would give her more to work with than a stupid four word sentence. The two sat in silence, Hitsugaya unconsciously drumming his fingers across the table top, Momo feeling more and more awkward as time passed. Maybe Urahara shouldn't have intervened after all; then at least she wouldn't feel like she had to think of something to talk about. She already knew most of his interests so what else was there to discuss?

"So, how's your family?" she asked him, hoping that maybe this topic would lead somewhere. Unfortunately however it seemed to have the opposite effect as Hitsugaya's eyes immediately darkened and the tips of his mouth turned down in the slightest hint of a frown.

"They're alright," he answered, leaving it at that. Momo nodded slowly, deciding from his defensive reaction it would probably be best not to push the matter.

"Well that's good to hear," she replied. Fortunately Yoruichi chose that moment to bring their food out from behind the counter and Momo was immediately distracted by the glorious smell of freshly baked pancakes and maple syrup.

"Thanks so much," she said. Yoruichi smiled at her.

"Sure thing. Eat up, it's on Kisuke," she responded before heading back behind the counter. The silence that followed was not at all awkward as both Momo and Toshiro had their full attention on their food, neither one bothering with conversation as long as they were stuffing their faces. Hinamori made a mental note in her head to come here as often as she could for not only was the place comfortable and the owners' incredibly fun people, but the food was absolutely scrumptious. Hitsugaya glanced up and his lips quirked into a tiny smile at the expression on her face.

"Like it?" he asked her. She nodded, her eyes glowing.

"It's amazing!" she replied. He nodded.

"You know the gym teacher Tessai works here sometimes too. He used to be here all the time until he got hired at Ryouta, don't ask me how that happened," he said to her. Momo blinked.

"Really?" she asked.

"Yeah and generally two other kids work here too, Jinta and Ururu but they don't usually come until after ten," he said to her. Momo nodded, drinking in all this information like life water.

"Do you know if they're hiring?" she asked him. Toshiro glanced up at her.

"I'm not sure, you could ask. I don't know if you'd have time to work here though considering school work and soccer practice, if you make the team that is," he quickly added. Momo shot him a quick look though he was staring out the window again and didn't meet her eye. Sighing she turned away.

"I know that but my parents really wanted me to get a job out here to help pay for my education. Ryouta isn't like public high schools, it actually costs something," she said to him.

"Is money a problem for you?" Hitsugaya asked callously. Momo's eyes narrowed and her face flushed a deep crimson red.

"N-no not really! I mean we're not completely rolling in wealth but we're not super unfortunate either," she replied defensively. The boy shrugged.

"Well either way you might want to wait a week or so and get into the swing of things around Ryouta. At least that way you'll know whether or not you have time to balance a job along with school work and everything else," he said to her. Momo nodded.

"I'll do that," she responded. Hitsugaya didn't respond, instead glancing at his watch and standing up from the table.

"It's about 7: 50, we should get to school," he murmured. The girl nodded, standing as well.

"Yeah," she replied. Glancing back towards the counter she caught Urahara's eye and gave him a slight wave which he returned, winking at her before disappearing into the back of the store. Momo flushed but shook it off, quickly following Hitsugaya out of the café and back onto the block. It was time for her first day at Ryouta High to begin.

……………

**So I find it a bit pathetic that Momo is only just having her first day of classes and I'm already on chapter six of this story. Is that pathetic at all?? Haha oh well, I get so into my writing it gets so much more detailed than I expected it to and everything I was planning on writing in the chapter gets shoved to the next one. Momo was supposed to have her first day in this chapter but if I were to include all that the chapter would have gotten too long… *sigh* Oh well, I really hope you enjoyed. I tried to update much faster than I did last time for all you amazing reviewers! Leave me a message please! Thanks!**

**~Phoenix**


	7. First Day

**A/N: Hey everyone! Thanks so much for your support up to this point, I absolutely love you guys for it, you keep this story going! Wow, chapter 7 already huh? **

**IMPORTANT NOTE: Ukitake is now teaching history and Byakuya is now teaching math. I don't know if you guys remembered that or not but it has been edited. So without further ado…**

…………

BBBBBBBBBBBBRRRRRRRRRRRRIIIIIIIIIIINNNNNNNNNGGGGGG!!! Momo jumped a foot as the school bell rang directly over her head, signifying it was time to quit socializing and get to class. She and Hitsugaya had arrived at Ryouta with ten minutes to spare but he had instantly disappeared somewhere, leaving her to fend for herself in the testosterone filled hallways. She would definitely have to have some words with him later.

Remembering that she had math first hour Momo glanced down at her schedule to confirm that it was in room 750. Glancing up at the classroom to her right she read the digits 612, proving that she was nowhere near her destination. Shrugging her backpack higher onto her shoulders, the girl figured that if she followed the steadily increasing room numbers, she should eventually reach her destination.

Four minutes later she had yet to find the math room and was now totally and completely lost. The hallway had branched into two different directions and she had picked one at random which lead to two staircases and she wasn't sure if she was supposed to walk up them or not. Deciding she might as well the girl had done so and winded up in the 800's, now more turned around than ever.

The hallways were now deserted of other students and Momo felt panic slowly begin to stir in the pit of her stomach as she had no idea what to do. The bell chose that minute to ring, only confirming the girl's fears that she was going to be late for her class. Biting her lip Momo desperately looked around, trying to find anyone who might be able to help her locate her classroom.

"Ya might want to be gettin' to class." Momo squeaked and whirled around, caught completely off guard by the stranger that had just spoken to her. He was very tall with silvery white hair falling into squinty eyes, a thin mouth turned up in a side smirk, hands shoved casually into his khaki pants pockets, one eyebrow raised in amusement at her startled reaction. Not knowing what else to do Momo opened her mouth and blurted:

"Can you help me please? I'm new and have no idea where my class is!" The man peered at her and a shiver went down Momo's back. His gaze was shifty and calculating and there was absolutely no warmth in that smile of his. Taking a step back she bit her lip, wondering if it wouldn't be better to just bolt the other direction.

"An' where might you be tryin' to get to?" he asked her. Momo swallowed, doing her best to find her voice again.

"U-um math in room 750," she replied, hoping he hadn't heard the quiver in her voice.

"You're pretty close. If ya follow me, I can take ya there," he said to her. Momo nodded.

"Okay," she murmured, falling into step beside him. There was a moments silence as the two made their way down the hallway, taking a left and then another one at the next intersection before they reached a hallway in which Momo was relieved to see was clearly the 700's.

"Do ya happen to have a name?" The girl blinked and looked up at her guide.

"Um, Masaki Hinamori," she replied, wondering if the stranger would introduce himself as well. He didn't, instead merely nodding his head and starting down the hallway. The girl shrugged to herself, wondering if she would find out soon enough. He finally paused outside a room with a dark green door, the number 750 painted over it, the sound of someone's voice issuing out from inside.

"Well here ya go Hinamori," he said, the sneer still on his face. Without waiting for her response he placed a bony hand on the doorknob and turned, pushing the door open as he did so. Immediately the voice stopped and Momo felt her face begin to heat up, absolutely positive that it was rapidly turning a brilliant shade of fuchsia. There was a moment's pause before a quiet voice broke the silence.

"Is there something you needed, Ichimaru?" Momo peeked out from behind the silver haired man, glad to finally have gotten a name of some kind. Ichimaru…she'd remember that. The girl looked at the man who had spoken, assuming he must be the teacher. He was tall and stern looking with sharp no-nonsense eyes and long dark hair that reached a few inches past his shoulders, his skin creamy white, mouth set in a distinct frown. Ichimaru merely grinned at him and waved a hand in the air as though to brush off his question.

"I found a little lost boy who claims to be in your class. I figured it would be cruel to leave him wanderin' out in the hall so I decided to give him a hand," he responded, his tone light and carefree. Momo frowned, unable to tell whether or not he was making fun of her. This Ichimaru was very hard to read. The math teacher, who Momo assumed to be Byakuya Kuchiki, nodded his head ever so slightly and shifted his eyes to a sheet of paper resting on his desk.

"And you are?" he asked, clearly addressing Momo though he didn't look at her.

"Um, Masaki Hinamori sir!" the girl responded rapidly, earning her more than a few snickers from her classmates. Flushing she stared at the floor again, wishing it would just swallow her up. So much for a good start to the day…

"You will have a seat there next to Hanataro. I will pardon your being late today but only today, do I make myself clear?" Byakuya asked of her, his eyes cold and unforgiving. Momo swallowed and nodded her head.

"Y-yes, I understand," she responded. Beside her Ichimaru chuckled quietly.

"As heartless as ever, eh Byakuya?" he commented while the other man made no comment, obviously content to ignore him. Shaking his head Ichimaru backed out the door though not before giving Hinamori another smile and a wave.

"Bye bye," he said to her before turning and vanishing down the hallway. Shaking her head Momo took the seat that Byakuya had assigned her, pulling a blank notebook from her backpack and opening it to the first page.

"Hinamori, hello!" Momo glanced over to see Hanataro grinning at her, waving excitedly from his spot two feet away. Momo returned his grin, happy that she knew someone and had the good fortune to be sitting by them.

"It's good to see you again Hanataro," she replied. "Have we gotten ve-…"

"Hinamori!" Momo froze before slowly raising her eyes to meet her math teacher's.

"Y-yes?" she asked.

"There is silence in my classroom unless I say otherwise. You would do well to remember that," he said to her. Momo's face rapidly heated up again and she dropped her gaze, staring guiltily at the smooth surface of her desk.

"Yes, sir," she responded. Byakuya nodded once before turning back to the blackboard and writing several problems across it.

"Sorry…" Hanataro whispered to her, his eyes wide and ashamed looking. Momo shook her head and smiled at him to show she wasn't angry, not wanting to speak in case Byakuya called her out on it again. Maybe the next couple of classes would go better…

………………

The bell rang sounding the end of first period and Momo was only too happy to put her notebook away and stash her pencil in its container.

"What class do you have now Hinamori?" Hanataro asked, picking up his notebooks and dropping them into his bag.

"Um art I think, with Kyoraku," she responded. Hanataro nodded and opened his mouth to respond though was cut off by Byakuya.

"Hinamori, if you could come up here for a minute please?" he asked. Momo swallowed and nodded.

"I'll see you later Hanataro," she said to him. The small boy gave her a pitying nod before scampering out of the classroom and into the hallway.

"What is it, sir?" Momo asked once she'd made her way to the front of the classroom. Byakuya reached under his desk and pulled out a rather large textbook, holding it out to her expectantly. Momo took it, looking at him curiously.

"Your math textbook," he told her shortly. "You will need it for the year's homework assignments." Momo nodded.

"Right, thank you," she said to him. Byakuya nodded before turning back to the blackboard in a gesture of clear dismissal. Biting her lip Momo hesitated, debating whether or not to ask for his assistance.

"Yes?" Byakuya asked, making up her mind for her. Momo swallowed, trying to find her voice for the second time that morning.

"Um, sorry to bother you but I was wondering if you could point me in the direction of my art classroom? I'd rather not be late again," she said. What appeared to be an amused smile flicked across Byakuya lips for the briefest of moments, so quickly that Momo thought she may have just imagined it.

"Take a left down this hallway and go down the stairs. If you head to the right you should see it at the end of the hall," he said to her. Momo nodded, giving him a tentative smile.

"Thank you," she said to him. The man nodded to her before once more returning his attention to the blackboard. Other students had begun to file into the room for the next class and Momo figured it would probably be best if she got to hers too. Shifting her backpack across her shoulders she darted from the room and into the crowded hallway, joining the throngs of students making their way to class. Hopefully she would have better luck in her next class than she had in Byakuya Kuchiki's.

…………

Teacher wise she had gone from one extreme to another. Upon walking into the classroom she was startled to see the man in charge, Kyoraku if she remembered correctly, leaning back in a large chair and resting his feet on the desktop, his eyes closed and his mouth slightly open. If she didn't know any better she would have thought he was asleep. None of the other students seemed to be paying this strange phenomenon any mind as they were all gathered around the few tables scattered across the room, talking animatedly amongst themselves and not paying their snoozing teacher a second glance.

"Hey Hinamori, over here." Momo tore her eyes from the teacher and instead to the student who had called out to her. It was Yumichika, the very feminine looking guy from the night before, waving her over gracefully with a cupped hand. Chad was sitting at the table beside him and, much to Momo's amusement; he was just as tall sitting down as Yumichika was standing up. Smiling Momo headed over, figuring if Yumichika fit in at Ryouta, she shouldn't have many problems at all.

"Hey," Chad said shortly and Momo gave him a short wave in acknowledgement.

"So, how has your first day been so far?" Yumichika asked, crossing his slender arms over his chest and fixing Momo with a piercing look. The girl made a face and plopped down on a stool across from Chad.

"Not so great. I'm pretty sure my math teacher hates me," she responded. Yumichika made a face, lifting one hand to wipe a stray hair out of his face.

"Ah mathematics, truly an ugly class," he murmured, closing his eyes and sniffing disdainfully. "I find there is much more beauty in art which is why I decided to place myself in this class in the first place. Not that it can contend with me of course, nothing is that beautiful…" He trailed off while Momo blinked at him, wondering if he always talked like this and, figuring from the way Chad appeared completely unfazed, he probably did. The bell chose that moment to ring, mercifully sparing her from responding and she turned towards the front of the room expectantly, waiting for their teacher to rise from his rest and begin class. Strangely enough he continued to lay there, his chest rising and falling peacefully, a stray strand of curly brown hair falling across his face. A dramatic sigh from Yumichika caught her attention and she turned towards him curiously.

"Oh dear, not this again. Whose turn is it to wake him up?" he asked, glaring around at his classmates. Momo looked around the room, waiting for someone to step forward yet no one did. Finally a bigger kid who had been sitting alone at the table beside theirs stood and made his way over to their sleeping teacher. Yumichika sneered and Momo raised her eyebrows.

"What?" she asked. The boy shook his head, letting his hair flip elegantly around his face.

"Ah nothing. Kyoraku should be awake soon, that's all," he responded. Curiosity piqued, Momo looked back to where the boy had crossed the room and was now staring intently down at their teacher, his heavily muscled arms folded across his chest, funny eyebrows furrowed.

"Hey Kyoraku, rise and shine!" he growled, peering down at the teacher. Kyoraku snorted but merely shifted his position, his eyes still firmly closed, and a small fleck of drool dribbling from the side of his mouth.

"Kyoraku!" The boy tried again to no avail. Taking a deep breath Momo saw him fill up his lungs and had the sense to slam her hands over her ears, several of her classmates following her example. "HEY KYORAKU! WAKE THE HELL UP ALREADY!" the student roared, his voice filling the room and sending several birds that had been sitting peacefully in the trees outside start into flight. There was a pause before Kyoraku let out a great yawn and opened one eye lazily, glancing around at his amused students. Looking up at the kid who'd woke him up he grinned apologetically, sitting upright and scratching his head sheepishly.

"Sorry about that," he said to him. "You can head back to your seat now though. Thanks Ganju." Yumichika sniffed.

"You see?" he said. Momo nodded, taking her hands away from her still ringing ears.

"Uh-huh," she said. "That yell could have woken a tranquilized elephant." Yumichika stared down at her, a slight frown on his face.

"That's not what I meant at all. Obviously it would be impossible for anyone to sleep with a face that ugly hovering so close by," he responded.

"Watch it princess," Ganju growled, clearly having heard Yumichika's retort. Chad shook his head with a sigh and Momo turned to him curiously.

"Is he always like that?" she whispered while Yumichika's attention was drawn by Ganju. Chad nodded.

"Uh-huh, every day," he replied. Kyoraku chose that moment to speak however, cutting off the rest of their conversation.

"Alright everyone, today's a work day so get to work," he said simply before going back to his chair and once more propping his feet on the desk. Momo raised an eyebrow, unable to believe that this person was the coach of Ryouta's soccer team. He was nothing like the buff bald man she had envisioned and she wasn't sure if this was a good thing or not. Regardless it would probably be a good idea to introduce herself and ask what exactly it was she was supposed to be working on. Cautiously walking over to her teacher she paused a couple of steps away from him, not sure if she should speak up or just let him lay there. Fortunately the decision was made for her as Kyoraku lazily opened one eye and fixed it on her.

"Hello there," he said, a pleasant smile on his face.

"U-um hi," Momo responded. "My name is Masaki Hinamori and I was wondering what I'm supposed to be working on." Kyoraku yawned and sat up, stretching his arms above his head before letting them rest on the desk.

"They're working on self portraits, or more accurately I suppose, what they see themselves as. It doesn't necessarily have to look like you as like as you can justify why it is you drew what you did," he answered. Momo blinked at him.

"What I see myself as? I'm just…a person I guess," she responded. Kyoraku shrugged.

"Alright then draw yourself. That doesn't seem to be very creative though does it?" he asked with a wink. Hinamori bit her lip.

"Um no, I suppose not," she responded. Kyoraku waved his hand dismissingly.

"Well don't let it bother you. I'm sure if you stare at a blank sheet of paper long enough something should come to you eventually," he responded, leaning back in the chair again.

"Okay," Momo replied though at this point she wasn't sure if her teacher was still listening. She had wanted to ask him about the soccer team but she supposed that could wait until later. Even so how someone as lazy and unmotivated as Kyoraku had managed to be Ryouta's soccer coach was beyond her. She supposed she would figure it out eventually. Sighing she grabbed a blank sheet of paper from Kyoraku's desktop and headed back over to her table.

……………

Art ended much faster than math had and Momo made sure to ask Yumichika for directions to her science room before he left. Unfortunately for her the science wing was on the complete opposite end of the school and even with Yumichika's careful directions she was still about ten seconds late to class. Fortunately for her the students were still just taking their seats so maybe if she slunk in quietly enough the teacher wouldn't notice.

"And who might you be hmmm?" Momo blinked and whirled around to see the man she assumed to be the teacher standing right next to the door, his eyes fixed on her, arms crossed over his chest. He was extremely pale with wide yellow eyes, a goatee resembling something you might see on an ancient Egypt video, while two large golden earrings hung from his ears. His nails were black though how this had happened Momo didn't want to know. The middle nail on his right hand was exceptionally longer than the others and the girl got the shivers just looking at it. He wore a long white lab coat that stretched down to meet his ankles while a purple scarf was wrapped around his shoulders, topping off this man's ridiculous look. Kira hadn't been lying when he'd said Kurotsuchi was a weirdo.

"Uh, Masaki Hinamori, sir," Momo responded, well aware that all the other students were now staring at her. She caught Ichigo's eye and was relieved to see that both he and Ikkaku were in this class as well. Kurotsuchi had yet to respond to her so she decided to follow up her comment. "Um, I'm new." The man rolled his eyes.

"Well I can see that stupid boy. Take a seat behind Kurosaki over there and then maybe we can finally get started!" he snapped, tapping that extra long nail against his arm and once more giving Momo shivers. She was only too quick to oblige.

……………

Science was long and boring and Momo had to try very hard to keep herself from fidgeting throughout Mayuri Kurotsuchi's lecture. The bell ringing at the end of the period was an act of mercy and she was only too quick to jump from her seat, rapidly ask Ichigo for directions to her history classroom, and then book it out of there without another look at her science teacher and his creepy nail.

Fortunately history was close to her science room so she didn't have excessive difficulty getting there on time and walked through the door with two minutes to spare. It didn't surprise her to see that Hitsugaya was there already, sitting in his desk with a giant textbook in the upper corner and a notebook placed on top of it. She had one or two words she would like to say to him and not even bothering to put her backpack down she marched over to the boy. He glanced up upon hearing her coming and raised an eyebrow inquisitively. Momo scowled and slammed her hands on her hips.

"Why didn't you wait for me this morning? I got completely lost and was late to my math classroom because of you!" she snapped. Hitsugaya shrugged his shoulders, letting her words roll off him like water droplets.

"I don't remember agreeing to be your tour guide," he responded evenly. "And what's with that pose; you look like a girl." Momo immediately froze and dropped her fists from her sides, glancing anxiously around the room. Fortunately for her there were only a few other students in the room and none of them were paying attention to the 'argument' going on between their two classmates. Hearing quiet laughter from behind her Momo turned to see a tall man with long silver hair and a kind smile standing there, eyes glinting in amusement as he watched the two. Upon catching her gaze the man grinned at her and walked forward, extending his hand in greeting.

"Hello, you must be Masaki Hinamori. I'm Juushiro Ukitake the history teacher; it's a pleasure to meet you," he said. Momo smiled back at him, the man's obvious friendliness contagious.

"It's very nice to meet you sir," she responded. He shook his head.

"Formalities aren't necessary," he told her with another grin before turning to Hitsugaya. "I see you and your roommate are already getting along well," he commented with a slight raise of his eyebrow. Hitsugaya shook his head at the man, clearly catching the sarcastic undertones in his voice and choosing to ignore them. Momo laughed while Ukitake shook his head in amusement and turned back to her.

"So Toshiro tells me you're quite the soccer player; is this true?" he asked. Momo flushed while Hitsugaya's head shot up, fixing the man with an aghast look. Ukitake merely chuckled; ignoring Toshiro's warning glares and instead turning to Momo with a slight shrug of his shoulders.

"Oops, I guess that was top secret," he said to her. The girl couldn't help but grin along with him despite the fact that Hitsugaya looked about ready to kill both of them. It seemed for every crazy or strict teacher she had there was a fun one to make up for it. Right away she could tell she was going to like this class.

……………

**Alright there you guys go, chapter 7! The last three classes of the day will be in the next chapter and I will try to post that within the week. To be completely honest I didn't like this chapter much so I'll try to do better next time. I hope Kurotsuchi's description was okay. I wanted to kind of portray him as his weird mechanical looking self but seeing how this is more real world based and not soul society (obviously…) I couldn't exactly mention a guy wearing a mask to class as that would come off kind of weird and I doubt he'd have gotten hired. So I decided to give him the goatee and the earrings and hope that slides okay.**

**Also I have a slight predicament that I wonder if you guys could help me with. I'd like to put Kon into this story somehow as I love the little stuffed animal but I have no idea how to do it. I could have him as a stuffed animal but then he obviously wouldn't talk (which would be sad) or I could have him as an actual student though that doesn't seem very Konish to me. So if you guys have ideas let me know and if I like one of them enough I'll probably wind up using it for my story. Thanks a bunch! You guys are awesome!**

**~Phoenix**


	8. Warnings

**A/N: Not much to say here this time around except that my reviewers are all amazing and I love you all. Thanks a ton for all the ideas and suggestions as far as Kon goes, you guys are all amazing and I will definitely ask for your advice in the future if I ever need ideas again. Now on to chapter 8!**

………………

History was by far Momo's favorite class of the day so far. For one, Ukitake had placed her next to Toshiro saying that she would probably be much more comfortable next to someone she knew and, despite her irritations with him about earlier that morning; she was more than a little relieved. Hitsugaya hadn't had any particular reaction to the seating arrangements but he hadn't complained either which Momo decided to take as a good sign.

It didn't take long for the rest of the class to file in and take their respective seats, more than one of them giving Momo strange or inquiring looks. She did her best to smile and avoid looking too awkward, a feat she had become rather good at since coming to Ryouta. Ukitake had given her a textbook shortly after he had finished poking fun at Hitsugaya, telling her she would need it later. Apparently they were in the middle of learning about the French Revolution, a topic Momo had never had much interest in but even so the girl figured she should probably pay attention anyway.

She was pleasantly surprised to find that Ukitake actually made the lesson interesting, going into detail about the great battles, every once in awhile quoting King Louis XVI or Charles de Calonne, using separate voices for each. On one such occasion Momo glanced over at Hitsugaya to see him rolling his eyes or looking about ready to bang his head against the desk. Suppressing a giggle, the girl returned her attention to the front of the class and tuned back in to what Ukitake was saying.

As the last five minutes of the period rolled around, the man wrapped up his lecture and closed his textbook before walking around his desk and standing at the front of the room. Opening his mouth he addressed the class.

"I was trying to think of a way to make reviewing the French Revolution more interesting and in the process came up with an idea that I personally believe is genius. We will not be taking a chapter test this unit in light of this new idea of mine," he said to them, a large grin spreading across his face. "Consider it my gift to you."

"Is he serious…?" Hitsugaya's question was echoed by pretty much every student in the classroom, some of them looking excited, others weary, while Hitsugaya himself looked downright concerned. Clearly he was dreading whatever was going to come out of Ukitake's mouth next.

"I've decided that it would be much more fun, and a good classroom bonding opportunity, if we took the events of the French Revolution and acted them out as one big class project!" he exclaimed, looking around at the student's faces excitedly. He was met with silence and wide eyes, some of the boys, who had originally appeared excited, now looked simply aghast while others smiled nervously. Momo heard a quiet smacking sound from somewhere to her left and turned to see that Hitsugaya's palm had made connection with his forehead, his fingers now massaging his temples halfheartedly. The bell chose that moment to ring and the student's wasted no time filing out the door, each of them discussing this new turn of events.

Momo quickly placed her notebook in her bag and stood up, taking her history textbook in her arms and pausing as she waited for Hitsugaya to do the same. Ukitake casually walked over, fixing her roommate with a knowing look.

"I know this isn't exactly your cup of tea Toshiro, but I think it will be an interesting change. Who knows, it may even be fun," he said to him. Hitsugaya shook his head.

"I'll just take the test. The rest of the class can act out your Revolution," he muttered darkly. Momo stared, her eyes widening as realization dawned on her. Emotionless, cold-hearted Toshiro Hitsugaya was actually sulking. That fact alone almost made her day but Ukitake's next comment was the icing on the cake.

"There will be plenty of tests for you to ace this year. Besides, I was thinking you'd make a fabulous King Louis."

………………

There was no talking to Toshiro after that comment as the boy had turned red in the face and promptly walked out of the room, leaving Momo to ask Ukitake for directions to study hall. This class was about halfway across the school from where she was and Momo did her best to hurry in order to make it on time. Upon arrival she immediately picked out Ichigo's shock of bright orange hair, Renji's crimson ponytail, and Ikkaku's cue ball amongst all the students already sitting down. Ichigo gave her a smile and a slight wave which she returned before heading over to where the Study Hall's supervisor was sitting behind a wooden desk.

"Um, excuse me," Momo said, causing the man to glance up from his papers and fix her with an inquiring look. "My name's Masaki Hinamori, I'm new," she told him, beginning to feel like a broken record. The man nodded.

"Ah yeah. I'll mark you present, you can sit anywhere. There isn't much to this class; as long as you're not too obnoxious you can do whatever," he said to her. "Call me Iba; no formalities necessary." She nodded and thanked him before heading over to where Ichigo, Renji, and Ikkaku were seated.

"Hey short stuff," Ikkaku said upon her arrival. Momo scowled at him but didn't reply, not really sure how to respond anyway. The three asked how her day had gone up to that point and she told them about the various experiences in her different classes, ranging from Byakuya's stiff attitude to Ukitake's 'genius' idea. Renji snorted upon hearing her history teacher's plans for King Louis, clearly supporting the man's decision for, if nothing else, the many opportunities this would present to poke fun at his white haired friend.

"Did you hear that soccer try outs got moved?" Ichigo asked them, pulling a paper football from his pocket and aiming it at the field goal Renji had made with his fingers.

"What!?" Momo gasped, staring around at them. "Really? I didn't hear anything about that." Ikkaku snorted.

"Well you wouldn't have. Hisagi told us and they were planning on making an announcement about it after school," he said. Momo frowned.

"Why would they change the date? They were going to be next week right?" she asked. Renji nodded.

"Yeah but apparently it's supposed to thunderstorm practically all week and Hitsugaya and Hisagi don't want the fields to get torn up," he said to her. Ichigo shrugged.

"Whatever. At least this way we can start practice a week earlier and be that much better in the long run. Besides I want to ground those damn bastards from Mundo into the dust this year," he growled, slamming his fist onto the table, earning him an irritated look from Iba and causing Momo to jump a foot.

"Are those guys our rivals or something?" she asked, ignoring the boy's amused laughter at her skittishness. Renji shrugged.

"You could say that. We beat them every year but they still never fail to trash talk us. Apparently this year they've got some really good guys on their team which is going to make beating them a real bitch," he answered. Ikkaku sneered.

"You're not getting intimidated are you Renji? Come on I'm feeling lucky this year; we'll pound 'em, you'll see," he said. Ichigo rolled his eyes and made a face, causing Momo to snort with laughter. There was a pause before she spoke up again.

"So if the try outs were moved, when are they now?" she inquired.

"This Thursday," Renji responded, flicking the paper football back at Ichigo. He grinned at her, noting the expression on her face and gave her a light punch to the shoulder. "Don't look so nervous, it's not a big deal. Just come and show us what you've got, it's a breeze," he said. Momo grinned shakily back at him, wishing that it really would be as easy as he made it sound. The fact of the matter was she would have to work twice as hard to keep up with the boys on the field and now the try outs were a whole week earlier than they were supposed to be! She would have to start running and working out a lot more often if she had any hope of getting a spot on the team and keeping it. Determinedly setting her jaw she decided as soon as class got out for the day that she would drop off her things in the dorm and then take a couple laps around the block. She had a lot to cover if she planned to be ready by Thursday.

……………

Momo's next class was Phy Ed and Renji pointed her in the right direction before going his own way. The large gym was in the middle of the school, the locker rooms right next to it. Momo froze upon seeing this, having forgotten all about the prospect of gym clothes up to this point. What was she supposed to do? She couldn't change in the locker room with everyone else, it was way too risky, not to mention the fact that she didn't even have gym clothes on her at the moment. Maybe it would be best to pull the new guy card and promise that she would be prepared the following day… Taking a deep breath she decided to try that route, hoping that it would have decent results. Opening the heavy gym door she slipped inside to find that no students were there yet, obviously they were still changing in the locker room.

A large, heavily muscled man with a bushy moustache and dark square rimmed glasses was standing in the front of the room, arms crossed, feet planted firmly on the ground. Momo swallowed and approached him, trying to run over what she was going to say before she actually got there.

"Can I help you?" The man's voice was booming and deep though not intimidating like she had originally thought it would be.

"Um yeah. My name's Masaki Hinamori, I'm new here," she began, the broken record comment coming to mind again. Shaking her head she continued. "I feel like an idiot and forgot my gym clothes back at the dorm. I was wondering, um, if it would be alright if I just wore my normal clothes today and then brought them tomorrow." Tessai studied her, one eyebrow raised, his lips twitching up into the slightest of smiles.

"Alright kid but only today. You're not allowed to blame me if you go to your next class smelling like a trash can," he said to her with a grin. Momo quickly returned it, relief settling over her.

"Thank you very much sir," she said to him.

It was the basketball unit and Momo, being neither tall nor coordinated when it came to dribbling anything other than a soccer ball, tried her best to stay out of everyone else's way. She noticed that Yumichika, who was also in this class, was refusing to participate completely saying something about how basketball was horrible for the skin. How this made sense Momo had no idea yet she decided it was just one of those things about Yumichika that you didn't question. Chad, who was very hard to miss, was a presence indeed as he could practically touch the rim without jumping at all, where as Uryu was much like her when it came to staying out of the way.

Using this tactic Momo made it through the period without becoming excessively sweaty and she hurried to her next class when the bell rang, having passed the English rooms earlier and therefore had no difficulty finding them. She almost crashed right into Hitsugaya who had arrived at the classroom at nearly the exact same time that she did. The boy raised an eyebrow at her upon seeing her red face and the quick rate in which she was breathing in and out.

"Did you run here?" he asked her. Momo shook her head, pouting defensively.

"No, I just had gym," she replied, shifting her backpack from one shoulder to two and taking a step towards the room. Hitsugaya shrugged unconcernedly and followed her, not really feeling the need to reply. Momo's eyes roved around the classroom, going from the neatly placed desks to the tiled floors, the spotless windows to a large bookshelf near the blackboard, Aizen's large brown desk to Ichimaru who was leaning against it… The girl did a rapid double take, her eyes flying back to the silver haired man who had clearly noticed her by the way his mouth had curled into a sneer at her abrupt reaction. Pushing himself off the desk he waved at her, his grin growing even wider.

"So ya survived Byakuya, eh Hinamori?" he asked her. The girl felt her face flush a bit as she recalled the events that had taken place that morning.

"Y-yes," she responded, dropping her gaze to the floor. Ichimaru raised an eyebrow.

"There's no need ta be so shy, I won't bite ya," he said, his voice full of contained laughter.

"That's enough Gin; you're making him uncomfortable." Momo felt the heat rise to her cheeks again as she recognized Aizen's voice, the memory of the way he'd rescued she and Kira previously once more returning to her mind. Turning with a smile she saw the man walking into the classroom, a few straggling students behind him. Ichimaru raised his hands in a gesture of surrender and once more returned to his place against the desk.

"My most sincere apologies," he said though whether his comment was aimed at her or Aizen, Momo couldn't tell. Aizen shook his head, a slight smile on his face before he turned to her.

"How have your classes been going so far?" he asked her. Momo tried to bite back the smile that spread on to her lips unsuccessfully, this man's charismatic charm clearly affecting her.

"Very well! I'm really having a good time," she replied. Aizen nodded as though satisfied with her answer, the smile still on his face.

"Well that's good to hear. Please let me know if I can do anything to help you," he said to her. Momo nodded rapidly, hoping the heat on her face was just due to the warm weather outside and wasn't apparent on her features in any way.

"I will, thank you," she replied. Aizen turned back to his desk and began rifling through papers, talking quietly with Ichimaru.

"That was friendly." Momo jumped and whirled around to see Hitsugaya standing right behind her, arms crossed over his chest, a knowing smirk on his face. How this boy always managed to sneak up on her was a mystery to Momo; she'd been absolutely positive he'd been sitting at his desk mere moments ago.

"Y-yeah well, you know…" she trailed off, feeling the heat in her face continue to rise. Stupid freaking teenage hormones! She was going to have to get better at controlling her emotions if she planned on remaining undiscovered. Looking to change the subject, she asked a question that had been on her mind since walking into the classroom.

"Who's Ichimaru?" she asked. Hitsugaya took a quick look at the silver haired man before returning his attention to Momo.

"He's Aizen's student teacher, a college student I think," he responded. "Did you meet him already?" Momo nodded.

"Kind of. I got lost this morning trying to find my math classroom and he pointed me in the right direction," she replied, "which wouldn't have happened in the first place if a certain someone had stayed behind to help me find it." The girl grinned as Hitsugaya shook his head and shoved his hands into his pockets.

"I already told you idiot, I don't plan on being your babysitter," he replied grumpily. Momo smiled at him, laughing quietly and immediately stopping herself as she realized the laughter had come out more than a little bit girly. She rapidly attempted to disguise this screw up by breaking out into a series of rather forced coughs and quickly gasping: "Water!" before racing out of the room, leaving Hitsugaya to stare wide eyed after her.

Momo slowed after leaving the room, pausing at the drinking fountain just down the hall and taking a long swig of it even though she wasn't really that thirsty. She had to be more careful! She was a girl in a guys school where even something as common as laughing normally could get her kicked out. Hitsugaya was just so…he was just so… So what? Momo questioned. He was just so what? She hadn't known him for that long but even so it was becoming easier and easier to let her guard down around him. It was just so frustratingly easy to be herself around the boy so much to the point that it was starting to prove a problem. As long as she stood within the walls of Ryouta she absolutely could not be Momo Hinamori, no matter how easy it might be to just once let herself slip.

BRRRRIIIINNNNNNGGGGG! The girl jumped as the bell rang and letting out an exasperated sigh she raced back down the hallway and into her classroom, desperately looking around to see if her lateness had been noticed. Fortunately the class was only just beginning to sit down so her untimely arrival was not noted by Aizen or Ichimaru as both men were still talking quietly amongst themselves. Taking a couple steps forward she glanced around, wondering where exactly it was that she was supposed to sit. As though reading her mind Aizen chose that moment to speak.

"Hinamori you can sit in the front row here," he said to her, pointing to the first seat in the aisle closest to the far wall and on the complete opposite side of the room than Hitsugaya. Unable to push away the slight pang of disappointment that wormed its way into her gut Hinamori nodded, quickly finding her seat and setting her backpack down. As soon as she had done so Ichimaru made his way over to her and dropped a thick novel onto her desk that Momo recognized as the one Hitsugaya had been reading the night before. Glancing up she caught Aizen's eye and he smiled at her before turning to address the class.

"As you all know you are to have completed the reading two weeks from today, the test will be that same Monday," he said to them. "Don't fall behind as you will only hurt yourselves in the long run." Momo nodded, thumbing through the volume's thick pages and wondering how in the world she was going to be able to finish something this big. Clearly more than a little self discipline would be required.

Aizen went on to begin that day's lecture about the various symbolic values of several key items found in chapters one through three. Momo, having just received her text that hour, was completely lost. Normally she would have tuned lectures like this one out in a heartbeat but there was something about Aizen's voice that caught and held her attention. While everyone else in the class fought to stay awake she held on to every word, unable to draw her focus to anything else.

Aizen had just begun to analyze chapter four when there was a loud BANG that caused nearly everyone in the class to jump a foot, Momo included. Glancing towards the cause of the sound she was surprised to see Hitsugaya leaning down and picking a textbook up off the floor, clearly having been the culprit of the class's interruption. Aizen raised his eyebrows.

"Are you alright, Toshiro?" he asked. The white haired boy nodded his head, fixing Aizen with a cold, impassive look.

"…Sorry," he replied, returning the book to its position on his desk. There was a slight pause in which the two simply stared at each other and Momo felt the tension in the room begin to increase tenfold. Time ticked by though eventually Aizen looked away, chuckling quietly to himself. Momo frowned, looking from her teacher to Hitsugaya and back again. That had been downright weird. It had almost seemed like her roommate had dropped the textbook on purpose though what he would have hoped to accomplish by doing so she had no idea. Shaking her head she decided to let the subject go, figuring she was most likely over thinking things.

The bell rang announcing the end of the day shortly thereafter and Momo took her time packing up her belongings, feeling no need to rush out of the room unlike the rest of her classmates. Granted it was a gorgeous day and she wasn't surprised her fellow students felt the need to escape the confinement of the school's walls and enjoy the beautiful weather.

"Toshiro." Momo glanced up upon hearing the boy's name as she hadn't even realized he was still in the room. Her roommate met their teacher's eyes, clearly wondering what the man had to say to him. Aizen studied the boy before his mouth softened into a smile.

"If there is anything you ever need to talk about, you know I'm right here with a listening ear," he said to him. Hitsugaya stared at the man as though he had just sprouted a pair of horns, his eyebrows nearly disappearing into his hairline. Momo bit her lip once again looking from one to the other. Aizen had sounded genuine enough in his offer, yet she couldn't help but wonder if, like earlier, there was more going on behind the scenes than she knew about. Hitsugaya shook his head and swung his backpack over his shoulder, turning away from the teacher and taking two steps towards the door.

"No thanks, I'm alright," he replied and Momo could nearly see the icicles dropping off his lips. "Hurry up, Hinamori." The girl blinked having not expected to be addressed by him. Realizing she was kind of dallying she rapidly followed his example, looping her arms through her backpack's straps and falling into step behind her roommate.

"Have a good rest of the day Hinamori. See you tomorrow," Aizen said to her. The girl smiled rather awkwardly at him, still a little unsettled by the scene she had just witnessed.

"Thanks, I'll do that," she replied before stepping out the door and after Hitsugaya's rapidly retreating back.

"Um, Hitsugaya…?" she called, hoping he would hear her over the loud chattering of the students surrounding them. The boy stopped and turned towards her, pausing long enough for the girl to catch up before continuing on his way. "Are you… I mean… are you okay?" she asked him cautiously. Hitsugaya nodded briefly, his eyes blank and unfocused giving Momo the impression he probably hadn't even heard what she'd said. It wasn't until after they had stepped out of Ryouta's halls and were heading towards the dorms that he stopped, clearly turning something over in his mind.

"Hinamori, be careful around Aizen," he said quietly. Momo blinked at him.

"Why? He seems like a great person! He was the one who saved Kira and me from-…"

"I know!" Hitsugaya snapped and Momo was surprised by the venom in his voice. Taking a deep breath he continued, sounding much calmer this time. "I know just…trust me on this one okay?" The girl studied him for a moment, searching for any sign in his face that would prove he was joking or stringing her along to some made up story. Yet she saw nothing but the utmost seriousness in his eyes, no mirth or laughter anywhere to be found. There was no way she could refuse him even if she didn't quite believe what he said. There was no way Aizen could be a bad guy, there was just no way.

"Okay, I'll be careful," she promised. A slight expression of relief passed over Hitsugaya's features and he nodded his head, some of the tension visibly leaving his body.

"Good. I have to go help Hisagi organize the try outs; we have a lot to do now that the date's been moved up," he said to her. Momo nodded.

"Have fun," she said to him. He merely shrugged before turning and heading the other way, eyes focused ahead, hands shoved into his pockets. Momo stared after him, her head buzzing with a million new thoughts and questions. What in the world had that been all about? Clearly she was not the only one with a secret at this school…

……………

**Ugh you guys have no idea how frustrating it is writing Aizen to be all nice and happy. Ew…haha. Anyway mucho thanks to Frenchie-chan for coming up with the idea for Ukitake's super French Revolution reenactment. Also don't ask me why a Japanese class is studying the French Revolution. Let's just say variety and leave it at that. Matsumoto makes an appearance next chapter with scenes that I am very much looking forward to writing. Every time I write Gin talking to Momo I want him to call her Hinamori-chan but I decided against using Japanese honorifics in this story so I resist temptation… *insert dramatic sigh here*. Well anyway thank you guys so much for your continuing support, you are the reason this story is being written. **

**~Phoenix**


	9. Simply Strawberry

**A/N: I know I say this all the time but I'd just like to take a moment to thank all my amazing reviewers up to this point. I know I've said this over and over but really, you guys are the inspiration for this story. Therefore I would like to dedicate this chapter to everyone who has supported me and this story up to this point, you're all absolutely fantastic! Thank you so much!!!**

………………

Hinamori gasped for breath, slowing from her rapid pace to an easier trot before finally stopping completely, allowing herself a moment to catch her wind. After her earlier conversation with Hitsugaya, she had changed into black sweatpants and a loose t-shirt before taking a couple of laps around campus, beginning to prepare herself for the soccer tryouts that were just around the corner. Her nerves were already in overdrive and it wasn't even Thursday yet so she would definitely need to find some way to calm down before the dreaded date finally arrived.

Wiping a bead of sweat from her brow Hinamori frowned, glancing back in the direction of Dorm 2. There was nothing she would like more than to plunge into a cool bath and cleanse the sweat from her body however something told her that probably wouldn't be the wisest choice. Seeing how it was early evening there was probably more than one person with the same idea and the chances of being able to slip in and slip out without being noticed were slim indeed. Biting her lip she pondered what to do. Right at that moment however she felt a vibrating in her pocket and wasted no time pulling her phone out to see Matusmoto's number flashing across the screen. Curious, and a little apprehensive, she flipped the cell open and brought it to her ear.

"Hello?" she said, knowing full well who to expect on the other end.

"Momo! It's Rangiku, how've you been holding up?" Hinamori blinked. It had been ages since anyone had called her by her first name so it was no surprise she'd been caught a little off guard.

"O-oh, I've been fine," she replied, glancing around to make sure no one was nearby who could be listening to her conversation.

"Soooo, what are you up to?" Rangiku asked and Momo couldn't miss the undertones of excitement leaking from her voice.

"Well I just finished taking a jog around the block…" she replied, not really sure if that was the answer Matsumoto was looking for.

"Are you free right now?" This question caught her off guard as well and Momo had to take a minute to relocate her voice.

"Well I uh, I have a book for English I should be reading at some point," she responded hesitantly.

"Aw come on live a little. When was the last time you did something girly?" Rangiku asked her, sugar dripping from her voice. Immediately alarm bells went off in Momo's head and once again she found herself scanning the grounds around her for potential eavesdroppers.

"R-Rangiku I can't really do anything…well…like that here," she responded, not sure what her friend had meant by girly and not quite sure if she really wanted to find out. There was a loud sigh from the other end and Momo had no difficulty picturing Rangiku's pouting face in her mind.

"That's exactly why you should come hang out with me. If you keep yourself locked up in that boy filled sty you're going to go crazy and I have something really fun planned!" the girl exclaimed, her singsong voice echoing in Momo's mind. The girl hesitated, knowing full well it probably wouldn't be the best idea to hang out with Rangiku; in fact it could be downright risky. Even so she hadn't had genuine girl fun for a long time and a break from her boyish behavior might be exactly what she needed to sooth her raging nerves. A sigh of defeat escaped her lips and she found herself saying:

"Alright I'll do it. Where should I meet you?" she asked, nearly going deaf as Rangiku cheered into the phone.

"At my apartment," she responded. Momo's eyes widened.

"You have an apartment?" she gasped. Rangiku laughed.

"Orihime and I share one. It's really close to campus so it's not like it interferes with classes at all, plus it's the perfect party place!" she responded. Momo frowned.

"But what about your parents? Don't they care about stuff like that?" she asked. Rangiku giggled.

"You're so cute Momo. No they don't care. They're away on business trips most of the time so I never see them. As for Orihime, her parents passed away a long time ago and her brother shortly after that so she lives with us now," she responded casually. Momo suppressed a gasp, wondering if Rangiku really should have told her that, her heart immediately going out to the orange haired girl she had met the night before. As carefree and happy as she had acted, Momo never would have guessed that something so tragic had happened in Orihime's past. Obviously it wasn't something she talked about.

"O-oh, well okay in that case," she replied awkwardly. "Um, where is your apartment exactly?"

"Do you remember where the bar was we stayed at before?" Matsumoto asked her. Momo nodded then remembered Rangiku couldn't see her and promptly answered 'yes'. "It's one more block down and then take a left on Williams Street. Its apartment number 4 room 415 so just ring the bell and I'll buzz you in," she said to her. Hinamori bit her lip.

"Okay but I'm all sweaty and gross. Don't you think I should change first?" she asked.

"Don't worry about it. You can shower at my place which should take some stress off your shoulders and I have clothes that you can borrow to make you look a little sexier," Rangiku responded airily as though this was the most obvious solution on earth. Momo's eyes immediately grew to the size of small saucers, her face not unlike the outside of a tomato.

"Rangiku I can't! I mean, that's not necessary! I have my own things!" she spluttered, her face getting hotter and hotter by the minute. Rangiku's laughter was the only response she received before the line went dead. Momo pulled the mobile away from her ear, gaping at the small screen in disbelief. It was possible that she could return to her rooms and change into clothes of her own that would undoubtedly be much more comfortable than anything Rangiku had in mind. At the same time she was still a sweat monster and would only prove to stink up said clothes if she didn't take a shower first which, at this point in the day, was just about impossible. Sighing she shook her head, knowing she had gotten herself backed into a corner and didn't have much choice but to go along with it. Dragging her feet forward she slowly began to make her way in the direction Rangiku had indicated, hoping to waste as much time as possible before experiencing whatever horror her ginger haired friend had in store for her.

"Hinamori!" Momo paused and turned, surprised to see Kira walking towards her. She smiled at the boy and waited for him to catch up. "What are you up to?" he asked her, wiping a stray strand of blonde hair out of his eyes only to have it fall right back into place. Momo blinked at him, wondering what in the world she should say. It would be kind of awkward to tell him she was going to Rangiku's place alone and there was no way the truth would suffice…

"Um, I was just taking a run around the block hoping to maybe get into a little better shape before try outs," she told him which really wasn't far from the truth at all. Kira nodded his head.

"I see. Well in that case, do you mind if I come with you? I could use a little work out myself-…"

"No!" The answer spilled out of Momo's lips before she could stop herself, leaving a very awkward silence between the two. "I mean uh, no that's okay. Not right now anyway. You see I have this…um…very intense training program that I have to make sure I do by myself. I uh, can't allow for distractions you know?" she laughed nervously, hoping he would buy her lame excuse. The boy looked at her, clearly knowing something was up but having the decency not to question her further.

"Alright well in that case I'll see you around?" he asked hesitantly. Momo nodded, instantly feeling bad.

"Yeah! If it's not too much trouble would you want to run with me tomorrow?" she asked. Kira raised his eyebrows, a small smile quirking at the edge of his lips.

"You won't be doing your training then will you?" he asked her. Momo grinned sheepishly.

"No," she responded. The boy laughed.

"Well in that case sure, I'll be there," he responded. "Meet me after class in front of the dorm?" Momo nodded.

"Sure!" she replied. Kira nodded and waved before heading off in the other direction. Momo let a sigh of relief escape her lips, not liking how narrowly she'd avoided that particular bullet. Despite the awkward situation however, she was glad to see her friend doing better, the fight he had been in with Grimmjow now nothing more than a bad memory. Once more heading towards Rangiku's she couldn't help but wonder if Toshiro would ever want to go running with her as well. The girl shook her head, wiping such idiotic thoughts from her mind. Like that would ever happen…

………………

"MOMO!" Said girl rapidly found herself consumed in a giant bear hug, her arms suddenly constricted to her sides, her face buried in…

"Rangiku! I can't breathe!" she gasped, her cheeks reddening as she did her best to pull away. Instantly the vice grip was released and she stumbled backwards, taking in great gulps of air and staring accusingly at her friend.

"You weren't kidding, you are sweaty!" Rangiku commented, her eyes brimming with mischief. Momo pouted.

"I told you…" she muttered, crossing her arms defensively. Matsumoto waved her hand dismissively.

"Come on I'm kidding! Seriously though feel free to use my shower," she said to her, grabbing the smaller girl's arm and pulling her into the house. Momo was immediately overwhelmed by the scent of…something…cooking, she couldn't quite place what. It smelled like a mix of pancakes, onions, and cream cheese...? Shaking her head she followed Matsumoto through the relatively neat living room and instead down a hallway with four rooms branching off of it.

"Here's the bathroom!" Rangiku exclaimed proudly, opening the door closest to them and waving Momo inside. It was small and very pink, a furry pink toilet seat cover on the toilet, a fuzzy pink rug on the floor, and a bright pink shower curtain hung over the bathtub. "Feel free to use my shampoo and whatever else you need," she said to her.

"Thank you," Momo replied before closing the door after Rangiku's retreating frame. She had had the sense to run back to the dorm and grab a fresh set of wraps and her own undergarments before coming over to Matsumoto's, knowing that whatever else the girl might make her wear she drew the line when it came to those certain clothing articles. Turning the faucet she let the hot water wash over her and an unconscious sigh of contentment escaped her lips. Letting her hair get wet she reached for the shampoo bottle and had just finished pouring a bit of it in her hand when a thought hit her like a lightning bolt.

"Rangiku!" she shouted, hoping the girl could hear her over the water. She heard the faint sound of footsteps approaching before the bathroom door opened and Momo was very glad the shower curtain was closed.

"What?" the girl asked curiously.

"I can't use your shampoo!" Momo wailed, letting the water wash the liquid substance from her hand. Matsumoto frowned and raised her eyebrows.

"Why not?" she asked.

"Its strawberry scented!" Momo replied as though this was the most obvious fact in the world. Rangiku's frown deepened.

"And…?" she trailed off.

"I can't use strawberry scented shampoo! I'm supposed to be a guy and no guy uses 'simply strawberry' to wash his hair!" she answered, sounding more than a little bit frazzled. Rangiku stifled a snort of laugher, knowing Hinamori had a point but still finding the situation slightly comical.

"Alright alright hold on, I think I have something else you could use in the cabinet," she said to her, opening the wooden door and rummaging around inside. Eventually she pulled out two travel size bottles of shampoo and conditioner, both of them the type one would find in a hotel bathroom and therefore not scented. Boring, Rangiku couldn't help thinking, yet they would suit Momo's needs perfectly.

"Here, I'll leave these next to the tub," the girl said to her, setting the two small bottles down before exiting the room again, a tiny smile playing across her lips as she grabbed Momo's sweaty clothes from the floor and taking them out the door with her. She might as well wash these while Hinamori was busy; it wasn't like she was going to miss them…

…………

Momo let a contented sigh escape her lips as she turned off the water, drew the curtain back and stepped onto the fluffy pink rug, letting the fabric squish pleasantly between her toes. Rapidly drying herself off she slid on her under things and carefully fastened her chest wrap into place before reaching for her clothes. It took her less than a second to realize they were gone. Yanking on her boxer shorts Momo opened the door to the bathroom and stormed out, her eyes scanning the hall furiously for Rangiku. She heard the sound of a door opening and whirled around to see Matsumoto standing in the door frame, one eyebrow raised in amusement.

"Finished already?" she asked, the grin spreading across her face. Momo scowled and held out a hand expectantly.

"Give me back my clothes Rangiku!" she ordered, her eyebrows slanting determinedly across her eyes. The girl laughed, shrugging her shoulders casually.

"I would except they somehow ended up in the washing machine and if I were to grab them for you now; they'd be soaking wet and probably not very comfortable." Her lips folded into a sly smile as she saw Momo's expression change from determination to disbelief, her shoulders slumping in defeat. Figuring it wouldn't hurt to push her victory just a little bit further, Rangiku continued.

"Of course I just so happen to have an outfit your size in my room if you'd like to wear that. The alternative is walking around in your underwear all day…" she trailed off, letting her words sink into the other girl. Momo immediately flushed a deep fuchsia and she rapidly shook her head, waving her arms back and forth in front of her.

"I guess I'll at least look at them," she muttered, all fight lost from her voice. Rangiku's grin only widened.

"Well if you insist," she said nonchalantly, taking Momo by the shoulders and guiding her into her room. It was surprisingly neat considering who its occupant was, various posters littering the walls, a white chest of drawers shoved up against one corner with a full length mirror right next to it. Her twin bed lay across from the dresser, puffy white sheets folded neatly across the mattress with a gray stuffed animal cat perched on top. A small bedside table was set next to her headboard, three different photographs placed on top of it, not a speck of dust to be seen on any of them. While Matsumoto rummaged around in her drawers, Momo leaned in closer to the photographs, hoping to get a better look at the people in the pictures.

She was amused to see that the first was a picture of Rangiku with her arm slung around Hitsugaya's shoulders, the white haired boy sulking in annoyance while Renji, Hisagi, Rukia, Ichigo, and Orihime stood around them with varying expressions on their faces. All of the photo's occupants looked much younger than they did now and Momo wouldn't be surprised if this had been taken at some point during middle school as Hitsugaya was shorter than all of them, Hisagi seemed to have an acne problem, Rukia was wearing large black spectacles, Orihime's hair was shoulder length, Renji wasn't tattooed, and Ichigo was wearing a polo.

Giggling quietly to herself she moved onto the next image. It was a picture of Rangiku with two others, a man and a woman who Momo figured could only be her friend's parents. The woman had wavy ginger hair that curled around her face, long lashes framing beautiful azure eyes, her lipstick painted just so onto full lips, not unlike her daughters. Her father was a little sterner looking though there was a kindness in his eyes that, if she looked hard enough, was apparent in Rangiku's as well. Moving on to the last picture she immediately stopped, her eyes widening as she recognized its occupants. It was clearly a picture of Rangiku being given a forced piggyback ride by a silver haired young man who looked an incredible amount like:

"Ichimaru…" Momo murmured, staring at her student teacher. A silence filled the room as Rangiku had suddenly stopped rifling through her drawers and was now standing strangely still, a startled expression on her face. Curious, Momo turned to face the girl.

"Rangiku, how do you know him?" she asked, motioning to the man in the picture. There was a moment's hesitation before the ginger haired girl whirled around, her usual goofy smile on her face as she replied:  
"Oh Gin and I are just old friends. We used to spend all kinds of time together a couple of years ago but…" she trailed off and for the briefest of moments looked as though she was about to cry. The next second however the look was gone, replaced with her usual sly smile. "Come on, I've got something picked out for you." Momo nodded slowly, her eyes trailing from Rangiku to the picture and back again.

"Okay…" she murmured, deciding it was Rangiku's business and not her place to ask about it. What she saw next however, wiped any potential questions from her mind.

"Um Rangiku, what is that?" she asked slowly. The girl stared down at her, amusement clearly apparent on her features.

"It's a tank top," she answered, mirth dancing through her eyes.

"I see," Momo squeaked in response. "Rangiku, I can't wear that."

"I don't see why not," she the girl responded, tossing a lock of hair behind her shoulder.

"What if someone sees me?" Momo asked, still blatantly staring at the article of clothing in her friend's hand. Matsumoto laughed, shaking her head at the girl's shyness.

"Momo, that's the point," she responded. Hinamori rounded on her, eyebrows once more slanted over her eyes.

"Rangiku, I'm a guy!" she blurted. Matsumoto's eyebrows nearly disappeared into her hairline and Momo turned redder than a tomato. "I mean I'm not literally a guy! But, well, I'm pretending to be one! What if someone from Ryouta sees me? My cover will be blown and I'll be kicked out of school!" she wailed. Rangiku shook her head and shoved the tank into Momo's arms.

"That's why we're going somewhere that no one from your school would go," she responded. "I have shorts for you too." There was another moment where Rangiku was rummaging around in her drawers before she pulled out a pair of short jean shorts, a butterfly pattern woven into the back pockets. Momo reluctantly took them, staring skeptically from them to the top and back again. A thought struck her upon doing so and, blushing furiously, she asked:

"Where did you get these? I mean you and I aren't exactly the same…I mean…you're a little more, um, qualified than me in certain areas…" The last part of her sentence came out in a mumble and Rangiku's face immediately broke into another smile.

"You forget I'm friends with Rukia who's almost smaller than you. She's left plenty of clothing articles at my house and me at hers. I'm sure she wouldn't mind you borrowing some of her things," she responded. Momo gawked at her before rapidly shutting her mouth, figuring at this point Rangiku probably wasn't going to take no for an answer and she might as well save her breath and put the clothes on. Shying back into the bathroom Momo did so, making sure to take the boxers off first, pulling the tank over her head and staring at herself in the mirror. It felt weird be wearing girls clothes again and she had to admit she kind of liked the feeling of reuniting with her abused feminine side after all this time.

"Momo, how'd it go?" Rangiku's question snapped her out of her reverie and she slid out of the bathroom and back into Rangiku's, holding her arms out in a gesture of ta-dah. "Stand in front of the mirror," Matsumoto instructed, making shooing motions with her hands. Momo promptly did so and stared at her slim frame in the mirror. It wasn't surprising that she was constantly made fun of at Ryouta for her small size as she was even tiny for a girl…

"What do you think?" Rangiku asked. Momo frowned at made a face, tugging irritably at her hair.

"I look like Masaki Hinamori in drag," she responded shortly. A sly smile snuck its way to Matsumoto's lips and she teasingly poked Hinamori in the side.

"Well it might help if you had boobs," she responded with a casual shrug. Momo scowled, worried that if she blushed one more time her face might stay fuchsia permanently.

"I told you I'm a gu-"

"You're a guy, I know I know. But today, for a couple hours anyway, I want you to be Momo Hinamori again," Rangiku said to her, for once a kind smile on her face. "You're going to make yourself crazy if you have to be Masaki all the time." Momo sighed, knowing she was right and maybe she might have been the tiniest bit relieved.

"I'm not wearing your bra," she said shortly. Rangiku laughed.

"Don't flatter yourself," the girl responded with a wink. "I'll buy one for you." Momo's face went from amused to aghast in less than a second, her eyes wide and horror stricken.

"Wh-what?!" she gasped, staring at the other girl as though she'd sprouted an extra head. Rangiku shrugged.

"Well clearly you don't have any and if you're going to be Momo whenever you're with me then you've got to have at least one," she answered. Momo shook her head.

"I have to draw the line somewhere Rangiku and I think you just crossed it," she spluttered, taking three steps backwards. Rangiku grinned and the next thing Momo knew she found herself being enveloped in yet another crushing hug.

"Oh come on Momooo," the girl crooned. "I told you we were going to go someplace where you wouldn't find anyone from Ryouta. It's a boys school; you're not going to find them in lingerie," she answered.

"You're not going to find me there either!" Momo squeaked as she attempted to dislodge herself from Matsumoto's vice like grip. Rangiku suddenly let go of her and Hinamori stumbled back a few paces, staring down at her friend who was now on her knees and giving her the biggest puppy dog eyes she had ever seen.

"Please Momo? I planned this all out just for you! Orihime works at this great little shop and I know we could find the perfect one for you! She's not working today so we don't have to worry about that and fortunately I know all the other employees so I should be able to get a discount!" she persisted. Momo shook her head and stuck her fingers in her ears, trying desperately to tune out the bribes. "You'll look really pretty. You'll have all the boys staring at you…" she continued, now wrapping her arms around Momo's legs and staring up at her, eyes large and watery. Momo paused, rapidly imagining Aizen's warm smile before his image was replaced by one of Hitsugaya seeing her in a tank top and shorts. Maybe he would blush; he might even think she looked cute.

Quick as a flash those thoughts crashed down around her ears as she remembered one tiny thing. Both Aizen and Hitsugaya thought she was a guy. They would probably have several reactions indeed to seeing their classmate/student in girl's clothes and she would bet her left arm that none of them would be ideal. Sighing she stared down at the girl wrapped around her legs, a large pout now joining the eyes.

"Who do I have to dress up for Rangiku?" she asked quietly, stepping out of the other girl's grip and face-planting the bed. Matsumoto stared at her a moment, head cocked slightly to the side, a curious expression on her face.

"Is that what you're upset about?" she asked. Momo sighed and shook her head. Maybe just this once she would go all out and be her girly self…but only this once.

"No," she responded, sitting up and forcing a smile to her lips. "Maybe it will be fun… I'll go," she responded.

"Really?"

"Yup, why not?" Momo replied. Matsumoto jumped to her feet, pulling Hinamori up with her.

"Okay but first we have to make Masaki disappear and find Momo under all that guy," she said with a wink.

"Momo's right here," Hinamori said, pointing to herself and raising a skeptical eyebrow. Rangiku shook her head.

"Not yet she's not. You said yourself you look like Masaki in drag so we're going to change that," she responded, stepping out of her room and opening the third door.

"How?" Momo asked, trailing her friend like a lost puppy. Rangiku didn't need to reply as instead she merely swept her arm across the room, an expression of utmost satisfaction on her face.

The place looked like a beauty salon. Three shelves full of various hair products, nail polish, make up, brushes, shampoos, conditioners, perfumes, and lotions covered one wall, standing out against the rooms light pink hue. A white table was placed to the side of the shelves with a fuzzy purple chair in front of it, both items reflected by an elegant gold rimmed mirror with five light bulbs screwed into the top resting above it. A shelf filled top to bottom with CD's dominated the room's left corner and a silver boom box had been set on top of it, red digits indicating it was ready to play.

"Welcome," Rangiku said with a flourish, "to the Matsumoto makeover center. If you'll take a seat in that chair there, we'll begin…"

…………

**Hey everybody. Sorry if that chapter was overflowing with girly ridiculousness. I figured that Momo had spent so much time attempting to be a guy that she deserved a little bit of Rangiku bringing her back to her girly reality. I really enjoyed writing this chapter and I hope you guys enjoyed reading it and didn't think it was too weird or anything. I took Rangiku to be rather flamboyant and Momo to be incredibly shy when it came to some of the conversations they had so I hope the dialogue played out okay. Thank you so much for your guys' continuing support, you are all so amazing and you have no idea how inspiring your comments are. It's because of you that this story is continually updated. Love you guys!!!**

**~Phoenix**


	10. Ooops

**A/N: Dedicated to everyone who has reviewed my story this far!**

**Saffron- I always do my best to respond to my reviews but seeing how you're an anonymous (which is perfectly okay) I never have the chance to respond to you. Just wanted to say thank you so much for supporting my story for as long as you have and I'm so happy that you like it so much! Hope you enjoy this chapter as well; looking forward to hearing from you! ******

……………

Momo watched the scenery whiz past her; still unable to believe she was actually sitting in Rangiku's spicy red BMW dressed as she was with the windows rolled down and her hair blowing in the wind. It would probably be more accurate to say her 'extensions' blowing in the wind, as that is what her friend had given her. Upon entering Rangiku and Orihime's own personal salon Hinamori had gone through a rapid yet effective transformation from Masaki to Momo, all traces of her other identity lost in the make-up, outfit, and hair she now donned.

Matsumoto had pulled back some of the girl's longer strands before taking out a ponytail extension and securing it onto her head, making her hair seem much longer than it actually was . Momo had given up asking why Rangiku just happened to have hair extensions that were the exact same shade as her own hair because every time she did so the girl would just smile and wink mischievously at her. Clearly Matsumoto had been planning this for a lot longer than she had originally let on.

The older girl had applied a light shine of gloss to Momo's cotton candy lips as well as a faint pink eye-shadow to her eyelids, eyeliner to make her eyes pop, and mascara to enhance the effect. Upon hearing her victim's misgivings Rangiku had simply shook them off, stating they would just use make up remover before she had to return to school.

Seeing how Momo was new to the area, she took this time to stare out her window at the buildings and people flying past on either side of her, noticing that they seemed to be pressing further and further into urban districts as the cars and chaos of town was clearly increasing. When Rangiku had said she was taking her somewhere no one from Ryouta would be Momo had thought maybe they were heading towards more of a rural destination but it was rapidly becoming obvious that this was most definitely not the case. Her suspicions were only confirmed when Matsumoto pulled the BMW into the busy parking lot of the town's mall, a popular hangout place for youth of their age. Biting her lip Momo peered uneasily out the window, scanning the mobs of people for any familiar faces, prepared to dive under her seat if she did happen to see someone.

"Um Rangiku? I don't think this is the best idea," she squeaked, raising her eyebrows at the other girl. Matsumoto shook her head, letting her ginger hair flip over her shoulder as she opened the car door and stepped out.

"Don't worry about it; no one's going to see us. Besides you look completely different! The chances of anyone recognizing you are slim," she responded, flashing her friend a winning smile. Momo still hesitated; weary of taking that first step out of the car.

"I don't know…" she muttered, scanning the area again. Matsumoto let an exasperated sigh escape her lips and she marched determinedly over to Momo's side of the vehicle and yanked the door open, grabbing her friend by the arm and literally dragging her out of the car.

"Come on you promised! Besides it's not like we'll be here for a long time. Pop in pop out and bam! We're done," she told her, throwing her arms up in the air as though to emphasize her point. Letting her head droop in defeat Momo nodded, knowing she had come this far so there was no way Rangiku would let her back out now.

The two made their way forward, Momo pulling uncomfortably at her shorts. It seemed like forever since she had shown this much thigh even though, in truth, it had only been a couple of weeks. Rangiku, clearly catching her anxiety, smiled encouragingly at her.

"Relax Momo. You look super cute, no one's going to recognize you," she said to her. Momo nodded mutely, still unable to shake the ridiculous sense of paranoia that had overtaken her in the past couple minutes. She wanted to believe Rangiku, she really did, but she couldn't shake the sense that something was about to go completely and horribly wrong.

They entered the doors without any incident and Momo finally decided maybe it would be okay to relax a little. Taking a deep breath she attempted to ease some of the tension from her shoulders, rolling them back a bit and cocking her head to the side, trying to get the kinks out. Walking through the mall's tiled hallways she couldn't help but notice that she and Rangiku were attracting more than a couple stares, particularly from the male portion of the shoppers. Flushing a little she looked away, once more steering her vision to the floor beneath her feet and chewing on her lip. Matsumoto noticed her reaction and a tiny smile appeared on her lips. Her friend really was shy… Oh well, that would be something to remedy at a later date.

"Come on Momo, this way," she said to her, veering off down a right hallway and heading towards a very pink looking store titled _Lily's_ in fancy cursive writing. Momo swallowed, wondering for the thousandth time if this was truly such a good idea. She didn't have much choice but to follow Rangiku however as she marched through the doors, her eyes immediately scanning the shelves for anything eye-catching. Momo, however, felt her face heat up as soon as she set foot within the store. It wasn't that she was unused to shopping for such things; it was just weird when she was supposed to be a boy.

"Momo, over here!" Rangiku called, beckoning her friend over towards her. Sighing the girl dragged her feet forward, hoping to get this over with as soon as possible. Matsumoto was standing next to shelf of rather cute looking delicates, gesturing to them model style, her face alive with amusement. Despite herself a small smile found its way to Momo's lips, and she let a tiny giggle escape her mouth.

"You're so funny Rangiku," she laughed, shaking her head at the busty girl. Matsumoto blinked at her, using her index finger to point at herself.

"Me? Really?" she asked. Momo nodded.

"Mm hmm," she replied, her grin widening. Rangiku merely shrugged her shoulders though Momo couldn't help but notice she did look a little pleased with herself.

The girls combed the store from top to bottom and finally picked out their selections. Rangiku refused to buy anything, saying she was doing this purely for Momo's benefit and not her own. It seemed a lost cause to try and convince her otherwise and so the younger girl gave up trying and instead accompanied her friend to the register. They made their purchases and were just stepping out of the store when suddenly someone called out to them.

"Hey Rangiku! You weren't planning to walk right past me were you?" The tone was teasing though Momo froze upon hearing it, recognizing the voice from earlier that morning. Matsumoto whirled around only to come face to face with Yoruichi, the other woman having clearly decided to do some shopping of her own that day. Rangiku's face immediately burst into a large smile and she wasted no time letting out a happy squeal and throwing her arms around the dark skinned beauty.

"Yoruichi! I haven't seen you in ages, how's the shop?" she asked before pulling away.

"It'd be better if you stopped by more often," she responded with a wink before her eyes roved to Hinamori who still hadn't turned around. "Who's your friend?" Momo winced, praying Rangiku wouldn't introduce her. She had yet to inform the ginger haired girl about Toshiro showing her Urahara's so Rangiku hadn't the foggiest idea that the two were already acquainted. Considering her friend's current naivety things could get bad really fast. Knowing there had to be some way to divert attention from herself she looked around desperately, trying to find some cause of distraction. Unfortunately she wasn't quick enough as Rangiku grabbed her friend's shoulders and whirled her around so she was facing the café shop owner. Instinctively Momo threw her hands over her face, peeking out at Yoruichi from between her fingers. Matsumoto raised an eyebrow while Yoruichi's mouth curved up in a small grin of amusement.

"Um this is my friend Momo. She's a little people shy as you may be able to tell," Rangiku said, elbowing said girl in the ribs.

"Nice to meet you," Momo squeaked, her hands still covering her face, eyes darting desperately around for some kind of escape route. Naturally the one female she had met as Masaki would show up the only time she decided to break cover and go to a women's lingerie store… Someone up there must really be getting a kick out of screwing with her life. Yoruichi crossed her arms over her chest and fixed her with a piercing look.

"Do I know you from somewhere?" she asked. Momo shook her head, taking a step back.

"Nope, no way, never seen you before in my life," she responded, barely paying attention to the words tumbling out of her mouth. Then, knowing it was rude but unable to find another way out of this predicament; she turned and bolted from the store, leaving the two confused women far behind her. There would definitely be some explaining to do later but for now she had to get as far away from _Lily's_ as she possibly could. Knowing she was attracting stares the girl finally slowed to a stop, glancing around as she caught her breath. A large sign ahead of her read 'Food Court' with an arrow pointing to the left, a picture of a dancing hamburger next to it. Not feeling particularly hungry the girl glanced to her right and was pleasantly surprised to see a sporting goods store, the two glass doors open for business. Figuring now was as good a time as any to purchase a soccer ball she made her way inside, immediately feeling comforted by the familiar scent of rubber and new shoes.

Taking a deep breath she walked trancelike down the aisles, looking at the various soccer balls available and trying to decide which one she would bring home with her. She had a lot of options and, being rather indecisive, was hard pressed to find one that really stood out. Chewing on her lip she let her gaze wander from one to another, completely oblivious to the brown haired young man coming up behind her.

"Excuse me ma'am? Can I help you?" Momo jumped and whirled around, this store employee taking her completely by surprise.

"Er uh no, that's alright; I'm just browsing," she responded, smiling nervously before turning back to the task at hand.

"I see…" the young man replied though he made no attempt to move or take his business elsewhere. "You come here often?" he asked, taking what he thought was a stealthy step closer. Momo frowned, trying to ignore this guy's failed attempts at flirting.

"No," she responded shortly. An awkward silence followed this comment and the girl was finding it increasingly difficult to focus on what she was attempting to do. The brown haired employee continued to follow her from row to row and she would be getting a little freaked out if he wasn't so pathetic looking. Right at that moment her cell phone rang and, grateful for the distraction, Momo pulled it out of her pocket and flipped it open.

"Rangiku?" she asked, recognizing her friend's name flashing across the caller I.D. At the mention of the girl's name the employee's ears perked up and he aimlessly poked at one of the soccer balls, clearly attempting to appear disinterested in the conversation.

"No I'm in the sporting goods store… Don't worry about that I'll explain later… Okay see you soon!" With those parting comments she flipped the phone shut and put it back into her pocket, scanning her eyes once more over the selection of soccer balls.

"Soo…can I treat you to dinner tonight my lovely lady?" The boy asked nonchalantly. At this comment Momo whirled around, her eyebrows furrowed, scowl on her face, cheeks tinged slightly pink.

"No you may not! Thank you for your help but I believe I'll take my business elsewhere," she snapped before turning on her heel and storming out of the shop.

"Oh come on, don't be like that!" the boy called after her, taking two steps forward before giving up and sighing dejectedly. He stayed somber for a moment before his expression suddenly lightened again and he reached for his cell phone, rapidly punching a number into the device and bringing it to his ear.

"Hey Ichigo its Keigo! I just met the most amazing girl who's obviously totally into me and get this… she's friends with Rangiku! Next time we get the gang together be sure to invite me so I can find out more about her! Seriously she was ama-Ichigo…? Ichigo you there? Hello…?"

………………

Momo met back up with Rangiku in the food court near the mall's front entrance, slightly out of breath, her cheeks tinged pink thanks to her latest encounter.

"So, mind telling me what that was all about?" the busty girl asked her, placing one well manicured hand on her hip and raising her eyebrows. Momo grinned sheepishly, falling into her usual nervous habit of biting her lip whenever she was uncomfortable with the situation.

"Well actually Hitsugaya brought me to Urahara's this morning for breakfast and I met Yoruichi there as Masaki. It would have been a little problematic if she recognized me," she answered quietly.

"Not to rain on your parade or anything but you weren't exactly stealthy with your escape," Rangiku told her coyly. Momo winced and nodded her head.

"I know," she murmured. "But I couldn't think of any other way out of the situation!" Matsumoto shrugged, the smile returning to her lips.

"Well either way it was an adventure. Now I suppose we'd better get you back to school before you start to be missed," she said to her before heading in the direction of the large front doors. Momo was only too happy to oblige.

……………

By the time the two girls got all of Momo's make up off, her clothes changed, and extensions removed, it was about 8:30 p.m. Rangiku said she could drive her home but Momo politely refused, saying she would rather not have to explain anything if someone saw her and asked what she'd been doing with Matsumoto all afternoon. The ginger haired girl had given her a different bag to carry home her purchases in as people would probably have more than a few questions to ask her if she came back carrying a bag from a lingerie store. To cover up the bras, Matsumoto had given her two towels to put over them so if anyone got a glimpse of what was in the bag they wouldn't be too weirded out.

The sun had just vanished beyond the horizon as Momo made her way across the grounds, passing a few students hurrying to their dorms to do homework or run to the library to make a quick last minute addition to their notes before it closed. Seeing how she didn't have much other homework to do she decided that once she got back to her dorm room she would read a little of the English book Aizen had assigned so as to not fall even further behind.

Walking up the steps Momo pushed open Dorm 2's heavy front door and slipped inside, smiling slightly at the couple of boys sprawled out in the lounge. They paid her no mind for which she was grateful and she wasted no time hurrying down the hallway, wanting to hide her purchases as soon as possible. She could only pray that Hitsugaya wasn't in the room. Yet once again fate was cruel for upon opening her door the first thing she saw was the white haired boy laying back on his bed and reading the thick novel she planned to devour later.

"Oh! Er, hi," Momo stammered, biting her lip and wondering what in the world to do now. She supposed she could just set the bag down and wait until he left the room. Knowing him he probably didn't care one way or another where she'd been that afternoon and as such wouldn't ask. There were some perks to having the stonily silent boy for a roommate…

"Where've you been?" The question caught her off guard and she stared at him, having to completely change her train of thought from what she'd been telling herself seconds ago.

"Me?" she squeaked, pointing to herself. Toshiro rolled his eyes.

"No, the other idiot standing in the room," he responded. Momo flushed and mentally smacked herself. She deserved to be called an idiot after that stupid statement.

"Um, well actually I was out," she said to him. "I still don't really know the neighborhood and so I figured that since I had a bit of spare time I would do some exploring."

"By yourself?" he proceeded to ask her, looking more than a little bit skeptical. Momo opened her mouth to lie then decided it probably wouldn't make a difference if she told him she'd been out with Rangiku. After all Ichigo and the others were friends with them as well so it wouldn't be strange that she was spending time with people other than Ryouta students.

"No, Matsumoto was with me," she responded simply. At this Hitsugaya's eyebrows shot up and he immediately looked a lot more interested in the conversation.

"You hung out with Matsumoto??!!" he spluttered, an incredulous expression on his face. Momo nodded, a bright smile on her face as she went to sit down on her bed. Unfortunately right at that moment several things happened at once. Her foot caught onto the edge of the wooden dresser and she tripped forward, her hands flying out to stop herself and momentarily losing grip on the bag which promptly sailed through the air directly at Hitsugaya, dropping its contents all over the place. Momo could only watch horror stricken as the two pink bras Matsumoto had purchased for her fell out as well…directly onto Toshiro. There was a stunned silence during which time Momo's face heated up to never before seen temperatures while Hitsugaya's turned a bright tomato red.

"What the hell!!??" he exclaimed, scampering backwards and throwing the bras off him. Momo opened and closed her mouth several times, trying to think up an excuse as to why in the world she was in possession of something so obviously girly. Panic was rapidly overtaking common sense and she knew she had to say something fast.

"U-um I can explain!! Er Matsumoto and I wanted to…we wanted to um…play a prank on…on Ikkaku! Uh, the other night, at the bar I mean, he was…uh well he was being really obnoxious and so we um, we decided it would be r-really funny to um, hang bras all over his dorm room… just to, you know, see what he'd do," she stammered, praying harder than she ever had before that he would buy her excuse. Toshiro stared at her and she felt her face grow even hotter.

"You're playing a prank on Ikkaku?" he finally asked and Momo couldn't help but notice he didn't sound the least bit convinced.

"Yes!" she responded firmly, figuring that since the story was out of her mouth she might as well stick with it. The longest silence of Momo's life followed after this comment and she waited with baited breath to see what he would say.

"…Okay," was his only response before he stood and walked by her, exiting the room without another word.

………………

Toshiro made his way out of the dorm room before padding down the hallway, walking down the staircase, and exiting the building. He needed to get some fresh air after that rather awkward encounter with his roommate. He wasn't sure why it was bothering him so badly. From what he knew of him, Hinamori wasn't the type of person to secretly horde away women's lingerie items and Ikkaku had been kind of an ass that night at the bar… The explanation should make perfect sense so why was it that his face was still red and his heart still pounding? Hinamori's expression upon dropping his…bras…all over the place had been one of complete horror, not a reaction plausible if he really had been planning on pranking Ikkaku. Maybe his roommate really was a super perv? Somehow however, Toshiro just couldn't get himself to believe that the shy, quiet boy he was rooming with was really that much of a letch.

Hinamori had said something about hanging out with Rangiku. Maybe the girl had done or said something to convince the quiet boy to purchase bras for whatever reason; he wouldn't put it past her. Matsumoto was always doing crazy things like that. Maybe he would ask her about it later… On second thought, he probably wouldn't. Doing so would more than likely leave him open to several responses from the ginger haired girl that could go in multiple directions, none of them ideal. No, he would probably just do his best to push this strange experience to the back of his mind and forget about it as best he could.

Figuring he'd gotten as much air as he needed, the boy turned to head back to the dorms when a familiar shock of orange hair caught his eye. Glancing over he saw Ichigo making his way across the grounds towards him, his expression looking even more annoyed than usual. Unable to stop himself from feeling slightly curious Toshiro paused to allow him to catch up, raising his hand in a gesture of greeting.

"What's going on?" he asked casually once the other boy had fallen into step alongside him. Ichigo pulled a face and shook his head, rolling his eyes to the heavens.

"Nothing out of the ordinary; just Keigo being his usual crazy self," he responded dryly. Hitsugaya raised an eyebrow.

"What'd he do this time?" he inquired. The strawberry shrugged.

"Apparently he met some girl while he was at work," Ichigo responded with an exasperated shrug. Toshiro snorted but made no retort. Keigo was known for constantly gallivanting off after women and so information like this was already yesterday's news. "I guess she was friends with Rangiku though," the orange head continued.

"Really?" Hitsugaya remarked, not because he was actually interested but because he felt the need to say something.

"Yeah, Keigo said she was there shopping with her. What else do you think they'd be doing at a mall?" Ichigo responded sarcastically though Hitsugaya had stopped paying attention.

"Wait, this was today?" he asked, immediately stopping his slow stroll forward. Ichigo paused as well, fixing his friend with a confused look.

"Yeah, Keigo called me almost directly after that girl left the store to go find Rangiku. I don't see why it matters that much," he replied. Hitsugaya shook his head and gave Ichigo a strained smile.

"It doesn't. Uh I think I forgot something at the library so I'll see you tomorrow," he muttered before turning on his heel and walking the opposite direction, leaving a very confused strawberry behind him. Having no particular destination in mind Hitsugaya made his way towards the soccer fields, needing some place to mull his thoughts over in peace.

Ichigo had told him that Keigo had seen some girl with Rangiku and yet Hinamori had just gotten back from hanging out with the same girl all day. Either there were multiple people in the group or somebody was lying…but what reason would Keigo have to lie about something as stupid as that? The only logical possibility was that Hinamori hadn't told him the complete truth about what he'd been doing all day.

While it wasn't that big of a deal, his life wouldn't stop just because his roommate was being a little weird, this whole thing had him curious. Hinamori was desperately trying to hide something and he doubted it was anything as simple as being a closet pervert. Shaking his head Hitsugaya turned back in the direction of his dorm, figuring that at least for now he would continue to act normally and content himself to hope that everything would clear up eventually.

……………

**Wow sorry that was as late as it was. I ended up spending a week w/ my best friend in Alabama and so wasn't able to update as quickly as I would have liked. Anyway here's chapter 10; wow it's been awhile. Thanks so much guys for sticking with Hinamori this long, things are going to get interesting in the next couple of chapters. :D Oh yeah, I just noticed upon watching the first couple of Bleach episodes the other day that Ichigo's mother's name was Masaki. Haha I definitely forgot about that. I promise I had no idea that was the case upon writing this, to be completely honest all I did to get Momo's boy name was look up male Japanese names on some website, scanning the names starting with the letter "M." Huh, oh well :P**

**~Phoenix**


	11. Tryouts

**A/N: Just so everyone here knows I am 100% in love with the Bleach Musical… I am a huge music nerd myself and I practically flipped when I found out they had a musical. I'm listening to the soundtrack right now. Yay inspiration, though its also kind of distracting… :P Now without further ado…**

…………

Momo angrily reared back, kicking the rubber soccer ball into the net with a dramatic swish. Breathing hard the girl wiped a bead of sweat from her forehead before starting forward to untangle the ball from the netting, her mind not really on the task. It was Wednesday evening and, having a few moments of free time, she had decided to head down to the soccer fields and kick the ball she had bought around a bit on her own. Try outs were the following day and every second that ticked by brought her closer and closer to the moment when she would have to prove to everyone on the Death God's that she knew what she was doing. Despite the determination coursing through her veins, the butterflies her stomach absolutely refused to settle down. She supposed it was understandable considering everything that was going on at the moment, yet it frustrated her all the same.

She and Hitsugaya hadn't spoken much since Monday's incident, as she had begun to call it. He wasn't ignoring her or anything, but he didn't go out of his way to speak to her either and it was frustrating her more than she'd thought it would. Oh well, she would see him at try outs and he would be forced to talk to her whether he wanted to or not. Scowling she punted the ball forward again, watching in satisfaction as it sailed forward and into the goal, rolling to a stop in the back corner of the net. If she could shoot like this tomorrow it would be all the better for her.

……………

Toshiro stared blankly at his history notes, his mind nowhere near as focused as it usually was. Despite what he'd told himself about acting normal around Hinamori he was finding it harder and harder to do so. He couldn't get his roommate's many quirks off his mind and until he figured out what in the world the kid was trying so hard to hide, he was not going to be able to concentrate. Sighing in defeat he shoved the book away from him and ran a hand through his unruly white hair, his mouth set in a fixed scowl. A sudden jingling in his pocket jerked him out of his thoughts and he frowned, pulling his cell phone out and checking the caller I.D. His spirits dropping even farther the boy flipped the device open, knowing he wouldn't be able to ignore this call no matter how much he might want to.

"Hello," he mumbled.

"Toshiro?" the man on the other line asked. "How many times have I told you to speak up when you're talking to me?"

"…Sorry dad," he responded. The man clucked his tongue but let the matter slide.

"I have a very important client coming over for dinner tomorrow and I need your attendance," he said to him, his voice brisk and matter of fact. Toshiro frowned, his mind flying to the soccer tryouts.

"What time tomorrow?" he asked. There was a disgruntled sigh from the other end before the man responded:

"Really what time do you think? It's not like meal times have changed since you left or school," he responded shortly. Toshiro sighed, already sick of his father's short attitude.

"I'll be late," he said to him, bracing himself for the answer that was sure to follow.

"You can't be late. It is essential that I make an impression on these people so that I can get this case. They know about your soccer prowess and have been wanting to meet you; apparently they have a younger son who likes to play," he said to him. When Toshiro didn't say anything the man continued. "Stop being so selfish! It's about time you gave back to your family after all we've done for you-…"

"Okay!" Hitsugaya burst out before quieting, frustrated with himself for losing his calm. "…Okay, I'll be there. I have soccer tryouts that day but I'll leave early, Hisagi should be able to handle it without me." He could picture his father's satisfied face in his mind and had to stop himself from hitting the end call button then and there.

"That's good to hear. We'll be seeing you tomorrow then," he said silkily. Toshiro nodded once.

"Yeah, see you tomorrow," he muttered before flipping his phone shut and chucking it onto the bed. Sighing in frustration he slammed his palms to his head and flopped backwards, crashing into the mattress and swearing loudly as his head made connection with the phone he had just thrown there. Naturally the one thing he'd been looking forward to this week would be ruined by that man. Grinding his teeth he sat up and slammed his fist into the wall, wishing that for once in his life his father could just leave him alone.

"Hitsugaya…?" The boy jumped, his gaze rocketing up to where Hinamori was standing in the doorway, hand frozen on the knob, a concerned expression on his face. Toshiro inwardly winced having not wanted anyone to see him like this, much less his roommate.

"How long have you been standing there?" he asked quietly.

"Not long," was the quiet response. "Is everything alright?" Hitsugaya nearly snorted but stopped himself just in time. His father was his problem and he wasn't about to get anyone else involved, not to mention he didn't want Hinamori worried about him.

"Yeah everything's fine," he responded before picking up his textbook and placing it on his lap, pretending to be completely wrapped up in the words typed across the page. Fortunately for him Hinamori didn't press the matter, though he could tell his roommate wasn't completely satisfied. Sighing he got to his feet and shoved the large book aside for the second time that evening.

"Are you going somewhere?" Hinamori asked as he stood up. Hitsugaya nodded briefly.

"I have to talk to Hisagi," he responded shortly before walking the few feet to the door and vanishing down the hallway.

Hinamori watched him leave and had to fight the natural urge to go after him. Truth be told she had been there for practically the entire conversation but hadn't spoken up, not sure it was something she should be witnessing but unable to pull herself away. The conversation she had had with Hitsugaya at Urahara's popped back into her mind and she recalled how reluctant he had been to talk about his family. Clearly he didn't get along very well with his father which was evident in the way he had spoken to the man on the phone and it was even more obvious that he didn't want to talk about it in any way. Sighing the girl face-planted her bed, knowing that even if Hitsugaya was going to talk to someone about his familial issues it most definitely was not going to be her.

……………

Thursday came much quicker than Momo would have liked and the next thing she knew she was sitting in seventh period English class, her heart pounding in her chest, notebook page blank while everyone else's was covered in notes. Right now she wanted nothing more than to grab onto the hands of time and desperately keep them from moving forward. What in the world was she thinking trying out for a boy's soccer team, and a good boy's soccer team at that. The Death Gods were known for their ability to tear up any field they set foot on and already had two league championships under their belt. This year they were hoping to make it three. Swallowing Momo groaned out loud and buried her head in her hands.

"Hinamori, are you alright?" The girl felt her face heat up as she recognized Aizen's voice and with a start of mortification she remembered that she was sitting at her desk in the middle of class, surrounded by her classmates, probably receiving several odd looks at this point. Hoping her cheeks weren't too bright red she slowly lifted her head from her hands and met her teacher's chocolate gaze.

"Um, yes I'm fine," she squeaked, wishing the floor would hurry up and swallow her already. Aizen smiled at her, his eyes sparkling with amusement.

"Well that's good to hear. It would be a shame if you were ill on the day of tryouts," he said to her. Momo just nodded mutely. At this point she was scared that if she opened her mouth even a little, she would throw up. The bell rang and her heart gave a horrible lurch, her limbs feeling heavy and unwilling to move from their place in her seat. Hitsugaya was the first one out the door and she couldn't help feeling a pang of disappointment. Even knowing how unlikely it was, just a few words of encouragement from him would have been helpful.

"Hinamori, it's time to go." Aizen's voice shook her from her reverie and she glanced up at him for the second time that day.

"Oh right," she murmured. "Sorry about that." The teacher shook his head, his eyes warm and amused.

"Don't worry about it. Maybe it's not my place to ask but are you sure you're alright?" he asked her. Momo opened her mouth, hesitated, and promptly let her head fall onto her desk.

"Soccer tryouts," she mumbled, her words barely audible to him. The man shook his head, gently placing a hand on her shoulder and guiding her into a sitting position.

"Don't worry about it so much, I know you'll be fine. From what I hear of you, you're a definite shoo in for the team. Just go out there and show them what you've got," he said to her, his words full of cheer and encouragement. Momo stared up at him and, to her horror, felt a warm blush begin to creep across her cheeks.

"R-right, I'll do that! Thank you sir," she stuttered before jumping to her feet and racing from the room. Aizen watched her leave, his smile melting from his face as soon as the girl was out of sight.

"Interesting kid, eh Aizen?" The brown haired man looked over to where Gin was standing, his arms folded across his chest, his usual smirk decorating his face.

"Yes," Aizen responded, his lips folding into a smile of their own, "very interesting indeed."

……………

Momo took a deep breath, trying her best to calm her racing heart as she sat along the sideline; pulling her cleats over her socks and watching the other boys warm up on the field. She recognized several of them from the night at the bar though there were more than a few surprises. Yumichika for one was someone she would not have expected to see on the field and neither was Hanataro for that matter. Hisagi and Hitsugaya were standing on the opposite sideline conversing with Shinsui Kyoraku and another woman who Momo didn't recognize. She was tall and slender with hair pulled back in a loose bun, a couple strands falling loose on the right side of her face, a pair of glasses perched precariously on the bridge of her nose, a clipboard in her hand.

"Hinamori, hey!" Momo glanced up to see Kira making his way towards her, a bright smile on his face, one hand raised in greeting. She smiled back before returning her attention to the field as he sat down beside her. "How are you doing?" he asked. She snorted, shaking her head and staring at the ground.

"I've been better," she responded truthfully. Kira chuckled quietly and she frowned defensively at him. "It's not funny! I don't think I've ever been this nervous in my life!" At this the blonde stopped laughing though she could still detect the amusement sparkling in his eyes.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to laugh," he said to her. "But really you have nothing to worry about." Momo's frown deepened.

"Why's that?" she asked.

"Because I heard Hitsugaya talking to Hisagi about you. Trust me from what he says you're practically a shoo in for the team," he said to her. Momo shook her head, sighing dejectedly.

"He's barely seen me play so I don't know how he can be so sure," she replied stubbornly. Kira shrugged.

"Well either way we'll see right? Seriously though don't worry so much. You'll be fine; I promise," he said getting to his feet and offering her a hand. Smiling up at him Momo took it, allowing the other boy to pull her to her feet.

"Thanks Kira," she said to him, flashing a brilliant smile his way. The boy immediately flushed and looked away.

"D-don't mention it," he muttered before scampering off to join Renji, Ichigo, and Ikkaku. Momo watched him take his leave, more than a little confused at his abrupt departure. Shrugging she let it go, figuring that was just Kira being his usual slightly awkward self. Glancing around she located a crate filled with soccer balls placed in the middle of the field and deciding she should at least warm up a little, the girl headed over to them. She wasted no time picking one from the multitude available before dropping it at her feet and giving it a few sample dribbles.

Momo turned to head to an open part of the field and nearly crashed into a brown haired guy making his way over to the soccer crate.

"Sorry!" she exclaimed, glancing apologetically up at the kid. With a start she recognized him as the boy from the mall who had been working in the sporting goods store.

"Yeah watch where you're going buddy. You almost ran into Keigo, the Death God's biggest stud!" he said to her and Momo got the distinct impression that he'd just flexed his muscles at her.

"Um sorry; I'll be more careful next time," she said to him, doing her best to slip away. Unfortunately she wasn't so lucky as Keigo sidestepped, blocking off her escape route.

"Hey, do I know you from somewhere? You look awfully familiar," he said, squinting his eyes at her and scrunching up his face, clearly in deep concentration.

"I don't think so, I just transferred here," Momo replied truthfully, wanting nothing more than to be anywhere but under his piercing gaze.

"Are you sure? I swear I've met you somewhere bef- ack!" Momo glanced up in time to see a soccer ball roll to the ground at her feet, clearly having just made connection with the back of Keigo's head. Peering around him she saw Ichigo making his way over to her, a satisfied smirk on his face.

"Hey you want to punt that this way Hinamori? My kick went a little too far right," he said to her.

"Yeah no problem," she answered, slipping past Keigo and kicking the ball in the orange head's direction.

"You want to come warm up with us?" Ichigo asked her, letting the ball rest comfortably under his foot. Momo's face lit up and she nodded her head, only too happy to fall into step alongside the strawberry and put as much distance between herself and Keigo as possible. She immediately felt at ease within the group as they all welcomed her good naturedly, though Ikkaku did make a comment or two. She chose to take the mature path and ignore him though she did kick the ball a little harder than necessary in his direction, and her aim might have been a little higher than it needed to be, missing her target by centimeters. Ikkaku paled at the close call and he glared at her while the others laughed out loud.

Right at that moment there was the sound of a whistle blowing and Momo glanced up to see the woman she hadn't recognized earlier with the whistle in her lips and gesturing for them all to circle up.

"Who's that?" she asked Renji as they made their way towards her.

"Nanao Ise, Kyoraku's girlfriend," he replied.

"Really!?" Momo asked, caught a bit off guard. This Nanao woman had a very no nonsense aura about her and Kyoraku was…well…Kyoraku. Renji snorted.

"Yeah, but most of the time you won't be able to tell," he responded. Momo frowned.

"Why's that?" she inquired. The redhead shrugged.

"If you watch long enough you'll see," he replied. Hinamori nodded, still a little confused but she figured his comment would make sense soon enough. Once everyone had gathered around, Kyoraku cleared his throat and lazily spoke up.

"Alright so… my lovely lovely Nanao, ouch-!" Momo raised her eyebrows as Nanao had just smacked the man over the head with her palm, her eyes flashing dangerously at him. "Um I mean my cute, adorable-ouch! - violent Nanao -ow! - will tell you what you're supposed to be doing," he finished, grinning meekly at the woman glaring pointedly up at him. Shaking her head she turned to the group of snickering boys though at one sharp glare their sneers faded and their posture straightened. Momo couldn't help but feel more than a little bit impressed at this woman's obvious authority and her ability to whip teenage boys into shape without saying a word.

"Alright so you'll start off with the various drills that Shuuhei and Toshiro have prepared for you. After that we'll work with shooting and then finally end with a scrimmage. Do your best as this is your one shot to show us what you've got," she said to them. Momo nodded along with everyone else, her nerves slowly dissipating in the excitement that was rapidly taking over.

Before the drills themselves actually started Hisagi had them all circle up and stretch and Momo found herself between Renji and Kira for which she was grateful. As much as she supported gaining new friends, here at least it was nice to be surrounded by familiar faces. Renji smirked at her, shaking his head at the nervous expression on her face.

"Would you relax? Geez you're even making me uneasy with that expression on your face," he muttered, giving her a light smack to the head. Momo blinked and shook herself, forcing what she hoped was a determined smile onto her lips.

"Right, sorry," she mumbled. Renji merely snorted and went back to his stretches while Kira gave her a sympathetic look.

"You'll be fine, I promise," he said to her. The girl felt a rush of gratitude for the blonde, knowing he was only saying that to try and make her feel better but she appreciated it nonetheless. Ikkaku, who was on Kira's other side, scowled and gave the blonde a hard whack to the head.

"Wh-what was that for?" Kira protested, rubbing the abused spot and giving Ikkaku a confused look.

"You're too soft!" baldy exclaimed. "If he wants to be on this team he's got to man up! You being so sympathetic all the time is just going to turn him into even more of a wimp!" Momo scowled, deciding it was about time she spoke up for herself. _Backbone_, she reminded herself, _I've got to have backbone_!

"We'll see how much of a wimp I am on the soccer field!" she retorted, glowering at Ikkaku and causing him to start with surprise. There was a pause as no one said anything and Momo felt her face begin to heat up though she refused to look away. Finally Ikkaku's mouth quirked into a small smirk and he snorted, breaking their gaze.

"Well we'll just have to see won't we?" he responded smoothly. Momo set her mouth into a determined frown and nodded once, knowing if she didn't have to prove herself before she definitely did now.

"Is it just me or did the tension levels out here just skyrocket?" Kira asked meekly. Right at that moment the shrill cry of a whistle broke through all conversation and they all jumped to their feet, looking over to where Nanao was standing beside Kyoraku, whistle in hand, staring at Hisagi expectantly.

"Uh right, warm up jog!" he called, starting the steady pace around the field while the other players filed in behind him. Hinamori took a deep breath and followed the other's example, wasting no time running after Kira and Renji, determined to keep up with them the entire time.

It was a ridiculously hot day out and Momo found herself already sweating despite having only been out for a few minutes. Fortunately there was a slight breeze blowing which cooled them off a little, yet most of the boys still resembled sweat monsters by the time the jog was over. While they had been running, Hitsugaya had set up cones in varying places around the field, clearly setting up for whatever drill would be thrown at them next. Momo listened as Hitsugaya explained it, telling them they would have to dribble the ball between the cones in a certain order, doing their best to maintain control of it at all times and wait on the other side once their turn was up. Momo took a deep breath, bouncing on the balls of her feet in anticipation. She was one of the last in line and therefore had time to watch the others take their turns.

Almost right away it was obvious who knew what they were doing and who didn't just in the way the individual players took care of the ball. Those with confidence in their abilities breezed through the exercise while those who didn't were much choppier, stumbling over their movements and allowing the ball to get just a touch too far ahead. Finally it was Momo's turn and as soon as the soccer ball was kicked her way she took control. Letting the ball snake around her ankles she dribbled forward, spinning around the first cone and heading off towards the next. She let her feet guide her, completely losing herself to muscle memory as she guided the ball this way and that, around the cones, through her ankles, a touch to one side and then the other… She was so caught up in the field beneath her feet and the rubber sphere rolling around her legs that she almost didn't realize when the obstacle course was complete. Catching herself just in time she set one foot on top of the ball before hopping nimbly over it and then kicking it back towards the next player. Hiding a grin she headed over to where Kira, Renji, Ichigo, and Ikkaku were staring at her, their mouths hanging open, eyebrows arched in disbelief.

"Th-that was incredible!" Kira stammered. "I had no idea you had such good ball control!" Momo bit back a smile and shrugged nonchalantly.

"Thanks, I do my best," she responded.

"Trying to play it off cool are we?" Ikkaku asked snidely, though he appeared just as impressed as everyone else.

"Nice job kid!" Momo immediately felt a hand on her head and the next thing she knew Renji had her in a headlock and was giving her the biggest noogie of her life. "Why didn't you tell us you could play so well!?" Momo winced and grabbed at his arm, trying to detangle herself from his hold.

"Er, you never asked…Ow! Renji that hurts, stop it!" she exclaimed, finally tugging herself loose. The red head laughed and shook his head.

"Well, we'll see how you do with everything else but if you do half as well as you did just now, you'll make it for sure," he said to her. Momo felt her face heat up with pride and she quickly dropped her gaze, not wanting the red head to know how happy she was to hear that.

The rest of tryouts flew past and before Momo knew it, Hisagi was telling them all to circle up. They did so; Hinamori squeezed herself between Ichigo and Renji, and listened to their Captain as he opened his mouth to speak.

"So good job today everyone, way to stick out the heat," he told them. There were several grunts of agreement and a couple of the players pulled their shirts off. Momo blinked and looked away, feeling her face heat up again as she remembered what Hitsugaya had looked like without that certain article of clothing…maybe if he got hot enough he would take it off again…? Immediately pushing such thoughts from her mind, Momo tuned back in to what Hisagi was saying.

"So all that's left is the scrimmage. We're going to go shirts and skins, shirts on the right, skins on the left…" and with that he made his way around the circle, calling off every other. Momo felt herself break into a cold sweat, not sure what in the world she was going to do if she got named a skin… She couldn't just leave, she couldn't refuse as that would require explaining, and she definitely could NOT take her shirt off. Her breath caught in her throat as Hisagi drew closer, assigning her friends to various sides.

"Kurosaki skins, Abarai shirts, Madarame skins, Kira shirts, Hinamori skins…" Momo felt her heart drop and she looked around desperately, trying to find some way, any way out of this. Desperation caused her to reach out and grab Kira's arm before he made his way over to the right, her eyes wide with panic.

"Kira switch with me!" she hissed. The blonde raised his eyebrows at her.

"Why?" he asked. Momo bit her lip, spitting out the first thing that came to her mind.

"I got really bad sunburn on my chest the other day and being out in the sun like this really bothers it. It's not a huge deal but if you wouldn't mind switching with me I'd really appreciate it," she said to him. Kira shrugged.

"Uh yeah sure, no problem. I doubt Hisagi would care and I guess I'll be cooler this way anyway." He grinned at her before yanking his shirt over his head and heading over to join Ichigo, Ikkaku, and the others. Momo breathed a sigh of relief before heading over to the right side of the field and joining up with the others.

"What was that all about bed-wetter?" The quiet murmur in her ear made her jump a foot and she whirled around to see Hitsugaya standing there, his eyebrows raised inquiringly.

"H-Hitsugaya! You're playing?" she stuttered. He nodded.

"Yeah, the captains always play in the scrimmage," he told her as though this was the most obvious thing in the world.

"Oh, okay. I guess we're teammates then?" she commented. The boy shrugged.

"Guess so." Momo nodded before turning away, though his next words stopped her in her tracks. "Make sure that burn of yours doesn't get in the way of your playing." Her breath caught in her throat and she turned to stare at him. He had overheard that? Their eyes met and Momo couldn't help but notice the spark of amusement in his teal orbs and the sense of knowing that radiated off him. It was in that moment that she truly wondered just how much Hitsugaya suspected about who she really was, that is, if he didn't know already. Swallowing she gave him a shaky smile before dropping her gaze and hurrying over to where Renji was standing next to Chad.

"What's wrong with you? You look like you saw a ghost or something," Renji commented helpfully. Hinamori shook her head.

"Don't worry about it," she mumbled, stubbornly keeping her eyes from shifting over to where Hitsugaya was standing.

"Well whatever it is you'd better drop it now. We've got a game to win," the red head said to her, crossing his arms over his chest and glaring at Ikkaku who was sending rude hand gestures their way. Momo nodded.

"Right," she responded, shaking her head and clearing any thoughts of her roommate from her mind.

"Let's go little guy," Chad said to her as they took the field, dropping her a small smile before heading into the goal. It made sense that he was the goalie, Momo thought as she took in his large appearance. With a build like that it would be amazing if he let anything through.

"Hinamori, play right wing!" Momo glanced up as Hitsugaya's voice caught her ears, his eyes unusually intense as he pointed her to the position. Nodding she jogged to his right side as Renji took the place on his left. Clearly they had thought up these positions ahead of time. Momo didn't have any longer to dwell on this fact however as the next thing she knew, Kyoraku was dropping a ball into the middle of the field and the game began.

………………

**So I thought I'd get an update out quicker this time around, no trips to Alabama this week… I'm super looking forward to the next chapter and I can't wait for you all to find out why so stay tuned, I should have another update out soon! Thanks so much for all the support, you all rock!**

**~Phoenix**


	12. Misplaced Affections

**A/N: Thanks for all the support!!! **

…………….

As soon as the ball touched the field Hitsugaya had it in his possession, wasting no time dribbling it forward and through the legs of another player before kicking it to Renji who was open on his left. The redhead dashed forward, stopping the ball with his left foot and weaving it around Uryu who was on defense. Two of the other players wasted no time blocking his way forward and with a fancy foot movement, Renji kicked the ball back to Toshiro. The white haired prodigy spun around another defensive attempt to get the ball back, putting his body between the player and the ball, weaving through the defense as though they weren't there at all.

Seeing her chance Hinamori cut forward while everyone else's attention was focused on Hitsugaya, hoping the boy would see her opening. Teal orbs met brown ones and the next thing she knew the ball was sailing towards her, cutting the distance between them to nothing in less than a second. Gaining control of the ball Momo raced forward, her eyes on the goal and Ganju who was guarding it. Feeling the adrenaline flowing through her veins she feinted right, watching in satisfaction as he dove for it before booting the ball into the left corner, hearing the satisfying swish of rubber meeting the net. A roar of approval rose into the air from the mouths of her teammates and the next thing she knew she was in the middle of a bear hug as her teammates jumped on her, smacking her on the back or giving her high fives. Momo grinned, appreciating the praise and wondering that if this was how they reacted to goals scored in scrimmages, what in the world they would be like in the actual game.

Her eyes scanned the faces of her teammates before resting on Hitsugaya apprehensively. He caught her gaze and nodded once in approval, the corner of his mouth tilted up ever so slightly. A large grin broke out across Momo's face and she couldn't help feeling that that simple act had been better than the multiple congratulations she had received from everyone else.

The two teams lined up again and Momo took a deep breath, allowing her mind to clear and once more focus on the game. This time Hisagi started with the ball and it didn't take a genius to see why he had been named captain. The boy was every bit as fluid with the ball as Hitsugaya had been, weaving between the opposing team without breaking a sweat. Ikkaku and Ichigo were on either side of him and the three worked as a unit, getting the ball further and further down field. The baldy kicked the ball around Mizuiro, a short rather feminine looking boy who was apparently good friends with Keigo, and tapped it to Ichigo who wound up for a shot. Chad was ready for it however and caught the racing ball before it could fly into the net. Running up to the edge of the goalie box the giant threw the ball back up the field and under the waiting feet of Keigo himself who wasted no time in booting it back to Renji. And so it began again.

The redhead dribbled it forward a few paces before kicking it to Toshiro who received it without looking down, his eyes focused ahead on the defenders rising up to challenge him. They spread themselves out and formed a wall, not allowing Hitsugaya forward. A small smirk of amusement twitched on the genius' lips and Momo stared as he barreled right towards them, weaving it between their own legs and hopping nimbly over another's attempt at a steal. Shaking her head Momo hurried after him, silently berating herself for having been so easily distracted. This was tryouts, she had to focus! Toshiro kicked the ball back to Renji who slid past one of the defenders and kicked it towards the goal, only to have it intercepted by Uryu who seemed to have appeared out of nowhere. Upon first meeting him the wiry boy hadn't appeared very athletic yet Momo had never seen anyone move as quickly as he did. Kicking the ball to Yumichika who was playing a midfield position, Uryu dropped back once more, looking more than a little bit smug at his actions.

Hinamori had to keep herself from laughing as she watched Yumichika sprint forward. The kid had more of a floaty trot than a run and more than once she thought she saw him flip his hair, seeming to enjoy the way it blew in the breeze.

"Get him Hanataro!" Momo heard the yell from somewhere behind her and turning she saw one of the defenders from her team, a tall rather bulky looking kid who she didn't know, yelling at Hanataro who was apparently playing defense for their team. She hadn't even noticed him on the field! Her eyes wide she watched as the smaller boy swallowed, clearly more than a little bit nervous as to how in the world this was going to play out. Taking a deep breath he ran forward, his eyes set on Yumichika and the ball. There was a moment when he leaped forward where Momo believed he might actually have stolen it when all at once he let out a yelp and tripped forward, completely crashing into Yumichika and sending both boys sprawling to the ground.

"That's not good…" Hinamori heard Ikkaku mutter, his voice laced with amusement. Worried that the two might be injured Momo started forward though stopped when Yumichika bolted upright, his face a mask of fury.

"You-! You rat! Do you see what you did to my face!?" he screeched, glaring down at Hanataro and completely ignoring the fact that in the upset, the ball had rolled out of bounds. Hanataro quailed under his gaze, shrinking away from the waves of fury rolling off the other boy.

"S-sorry! I really didn't mean to…" he stuttered, but Yumichika was having none of it.

"You're jealous aren't you? You're jealous of my beauty and so decided to try and taint it by smearing mud on my beautiful face! Well you won't-"

"Ayasegawa!" The pretty boy paused when he heard his name yelled, glancing over where Hisagi was glaring at him.

"What is it?" he snapped, his scowl deepening.

"Get off your lazy ass and go throw in the damn ball. You can continue your stupid argument later but right now we're in the middle of a game!" he exclaimed. A dramatic sigh escaped Yumichika's lips and he shot one last nasty glare Hanataro's way before getting to his feet, dusting himself off, and sauntering over to retrieve the ball. Momo breathed a silent sigh of relief, glad that had gone over so well. Hanataro was not the type of person to trip and fall on purpose and she couldn't help but notice that he seemed to be even clumsier than she was. What in the world was a person like him doing on the soccer field? Shaking her head she refused to let her mind wander, refocusing her thoughts and attention on the game.

Yumichika threw the ball in to Ichigo and play resumed. The orange head was just as much of a threat as Hisagi had been though he wasn't as fluid in his moves. Despite this it was more than a little obvious that the strawberry had skill. Dribbling past Mizuiro he centered it to Hisagi who took a shot at the goal, the ball just barely grazing the outside of the goal post as it whirred out of bounds. Momo released a breath she hadn't known she'd been holding. They had gotten lucky. If that shot had been just a little more to the right, she wasn't sure if even Chad could have blocked it.

The big goalie jogged to retrieve the ball, throwing it back in to his teammates and watching guardedly as they once more worked it up the field, the defenders passing it off to the mid players and then the mids to the forwards. Hinamori found the ball in her possession once more and she rapidly dribbled along the sideline, watching the defenders anxiously as they advanced her way. Spotting an opening she centered the ball to Hitsugaya who spun around the opposing players and squared himself up for a clear shot at the goal. The ball rocketed forward, just past Ganju's outstretched fingers and into the net. Momo's face split into a grin and she looked his way, only to see him coolly making his way back to the center line, ignoring the impressed faces of the other players. _It's like he's done this a million times…_ Momo thought to which she realized he probably had.

The game continued on for another half hour before Kyoraku finally blew the whistle, calling everyone back into the huddle. A great yawn escaped his lips and he waved around at them all dismissingly as Nanao shook her head in exasperation.

"Nice job today everyone," he finally said once the yawn was complete. "Your captain's, Nanao and I will talk it over and will have the results posted tomorrow after school." When nobody moved or said anything Kyoraku raised an eyebrow in amusement. "What, are you waiting for a formal dismissal?" he asked them. Nanao shook her head and shoved him aside, pushing her glasses further up her nose after doing so.

"What Kyoraku means to say is that we're done for today. Thank you for all your effort; congratulations to those who made the team and for those who didn't, practice up and try again next year," she said to them. There was a slight buzz of acknowledgement before the boys all dispersed, heading back over to where their water bottles and bags were lying in wait on the side of the playing field. Hinamori followed Ichigo and Renji, content to listen to the two talk excitedly about how they'd felt tryouts had gone and who they believed would make the team and who wouldn't. After a second Renji seemed to notice her standing there and snorted, moving aside to make room for her to join them.

"Stop being so damn quiet all the time. If you want to be part of the conversation just step up and join in," he chided her. Hinamori winced and nodded.

"Right, I'll work on that," she said to him. Upon reaching their belongings Momo leaned down to grab hers, the beat up duffel bag standing out against many of the other player's bright colored ones. Glancing over to where Ichigo and Renji were standing she was surprised to see that the corner of Ichigo's bag was unzipped and what looked like an orange paw was hanging out of the opening. Curious she approached it, wondering what in the world said paw belonged to.

"Um Ichigo?" she asked, looking up at him in confusion.

"Yeah, what is it?" the boy inquired.

"What's that?" she questioned, pointing to the stuffed paw. Immediately Ichigo's face reddened and he desperately tried to zip the bag closed all the way but Renji was faster. Seizing the zipper with his hand he yanked the bag open and grabbed the paw, pulling that along with the rest of it out of the duffel bag. Momo blinked in surprise, staring at the adorable orange lion stuffed animal staring unseeingly back at her. It was very…cute to say the least. Stuffing padded its arms, legs, head, and stomach, giving it a slightly plump look while a single button was sowed into its front in place of a belly button. It had two beady black eyes and its mouth was open, looking almost as though it would start talking at any given moment. What Momo found the most entertaining however, was the fact that it had a single pink flower attached to its left ear, giving the poor lion a bit of a feminine look.

"Ichigo, what the hell is this?" Renji asked him, holding up the stuffed lion and shoving it into his face. Ichigo scowled, his cheeks becoming darker and darker by the second.

"I-it's nothing. Really, I don't know why you guys are making such a big deal out of it," he muttered. Renji merely stared at him, his eyes still sparkling with laughter.

"You have a freaking stuffed animal in your duffel bag and you don't expect me to be just a little bit curious?" he stated bluntly. The other boy scowled, crossing his arms over his chest and glaring back at the redhead.

"It's not mine!" he snapped. At this Renji broke, the first hints of laughter beginning to break into his words.

"Then what the hell was it doing in your bag?" he asked.

"It's my sister's!" Ichigo all but shouted, shoving the stuffed lion back into its hiding place. "She gave it to me today for good luck and I just couldn't tell her no," he finished lamely. Renji stared at him for a second before large gales of laughter burst from his lips, his shoulders heaving as he tried to contain himself.

"That's great! J-just wait until I t-tell Rukia!" he stuttered, trying to speak between laughs. At the mention of the girl's name Ichigo visibly paled and the next thing Momo knew he had leaped at Renji, tackling the other boy to the ground.

"If you tell her I swear I'll kill you!" he bellowed.

"Don't worry; I'll probably die laughing first!" Renji retorted, his face a vision of mirth as Ichigo's cheeks flamed even darker and he proceeded to whack the other multiple times with his duffel bag. Momo felt herself laughing as well, so distracted by the skeptical in front of her that she didn't notice Hitsugaya slip away from the others and head off on his own, face a picture of irritation. There was no way he wasn't going to be late…

……………

Toshiro pulled up to the large white house about forty five minutes later, knowing they had to be at least halfway through dinner right now. Taking a deep breath he opened his car door and stepped onto the pavement, glaring up at the house in apprehension. A sporty red Mercedes was parked in his driveway which he knew could only belong to the family his father was so keen on him meeting. Figures they were rich, he thought coldly, dragging his feet towards the door.

Letting the breath whoosh from his lungs he turned the knob and pushed inwards, stepping onto the smooth tiled flooring of his entryway and slipping off his shoes. The sound of polite conversation and clinking silverware could be heard from the kitchen off the adjoining hallway and Toshiro took several deep breaths, forcing a pained smile to his face before completing the dreaded walk from the entryway to the kitchen. A hush fell over the people seated there as he stepped in, his eyes immediately going to where his father was absolutely glowering at him. Noting a vacant seat between said man and a petite red haired woman Hitsugaya strode forward, ignoring his father's scowling face and instead sat himself down, attempting to smile pleasantly at their guests.

A beefy man sitting next to the woman stood and held his hand out to the boy, his smile hidden behind a large mustache and multiple chins.

"You must be Toshiro. My name is Eiji Ito, Kazuo here has told us a great deal about you," he said to him, motioning to his father.

"Has he?" Hitsugaya asked, feigning interest.

"Yes, apparently you're quite the soccer player," the man said to him. "I'll take it you're one of the captains?" Toshiro nodded mutely, reaching for the bread and placing a slice on his plate.

"Mr. Ito asked you a question young man; why don't you answer him?" Kazuo hissed, trying to keep his face as impassive as possible. Toshiro bit back an angry response, clenching a fist under the table before turning to their guest.

"Yes sir, I'm one of the Death God's captains," he responded shortly, hoping that was good enough for his father. Eiji cleared his throat awkwardly before motioning to the woman at his side and another girl who Toshiro noticed for the first time. She was quite pretty with long red hair tumbling in curls past her shoulders, creamy white skin, and large eyes the color of emeralds. Glancing up she caught his eyes on her and smiled flirtatiously, batting her eyelids just a little more than necessary. If Mr. Ito caught this action, he ignored it.

"This is my wife Akemi and my daughter Kaori. We've all been looking forward to meeting you," he said to him. Toshiro nodded, his eyes scanning the table for a fourth member of the family.

"My father told me you also have a son who likes to play…" he commented, raising his eyebrows questioningly. Mr. Ito nodded, his large lips breaking into a smile.

"Ah yes, my son Katsu. Unfortunately he could not join us tonight as he had soccer practice himself and was unable to attend dinner. It is my hope that you get the chance to meet him sometime in the future," he responded.

"That would be excellent," Kazuo agreed, clapping his hands and rubbing them together, shooting Toshiro a look that clearly stated 'you had better agree with me.' The white haired boy nodded his head, forcing a weak smile to his face.

"Yes, that be…great," he said, doing his best not to choke over the words. It would be a miracle if he had any free time in the upcoming days so any chance of meeting this man's son would be slim indeed.

Conversation broke out amongst the adults after this and Toshiro sat quietly, spacing out and pushing the food on his plate around absentmindedly. His father was an esteemed lawyer and very high up in the 'world of law,' as he put it. Apparently Mr. Ito was a new client who planned on hiring the man to take on a rather difficult case; they didn't go into detail at the table. Following the conversation, Toshiro found out that Eiji was a rather wealthy man and it was probably due to this fact that Kazuo was so intent on taking up the case.

Once the meal had been devoured Kazuo glanced pointedly in his son's direction, telling him to retrieve dessert from the kitchen. Barely a second after the words had left his mouth, Kaori leapt to her feet and padded after Toshiro, saying she would help him bring said dessert out to everyone. Shrugging the boy let her follow him, thinking little of it. The dessert was set on the counter, a glorious smelling chocolate pie that Kazuo had purchased from the bakery down the street, already cut into perfectly symmetrical slices. Heading over to the freezer, Toshiro opened the door and lifted out a gallon of vanilla ice-cream before carrying it over to the countertop and setting it down. Glancing over to Kaori he was unsettled to see her green eyes boring into him and as soon as his gaze caught hers a wide smile spread over her lips.

"So, what do you want me to do?" she cooed, taking a step closer to him. Toshiro cleared his throat awkwardly and stepped away, shoving the pie at her and making sure their hands did NOT touch in the process.

"Um, if you could just grab those plates over there and dish the pie onto them I'll scoop out the ice-cream," he replied as shortly as possible. She smiled again and batted her eyes in what he supposed she thought was a seductive manner.

"Sure thing handsome," was the response before she went to work on the pie. Toshiro nearly threw up at her obvious attempt at flirting yet fortunately was able to keep himself contained as he wrestled with the frozen ice cream. The sooner this task was over the better, he thought to himself as Kaori had begun to blow kisses in his direction, the pie she was supposed to be dishing out utterly forgotten.

……………

Dessert crawled by though eventually the time came for the Ito family to depart much to Toshiro's relief. Kaori had been making goo goo eyes at him ever since they had returned from the kitchen and he had had to fight extra hard to keep his pie down and digested. Once everyone was finished he rapidly got up and cleared their plates, pointedly ignoring the red head's attempt to help him and all but dashed into the kitchen and temporary safety.

He would have stayed there longer but he knew his father expected him to see the Ito's off and, rather reluctantly, he walked back out into the dining room to do so. Eiji and Kazuo were just finishing up a conversation when he returned and there was something about the way they were looking from him to Kaori that he didn't like. Shaking off the goose bumps that had suddenly sprang up at the nape of his neck he stood to the side and stared at the floor, refusing to meet anyone's gaze.

"Well Toshiro it was nice to meet you!" Eiji Ito's beefy face had suddenly taken up his entire field of vision and the boy glanced up at him, forcing a painful smile to his lips.

"You too sir," he responded, shaking the offered hand, his fingers disappearing in the big man's meaty grip.

"Don't worry, I'll be seeing a lot more of you, you can count on it!" he said to him. "And Kaori too! Now isn't she just a charming girl?" Hitsugaya would have rather eaten a two ton vat of worms than say that Kaori Ito was a charming girl but seeing how he had no two ton vat anywhere, he had no choice but to follow through with option two.

"Uh yes, she is sir," he replied and Kaori absolutely beamed.

"It was absolutely wondrous meeting you Toshiro," she said to him, taking two steps closer and reaching out to grip his left hand in both of hers. "I cannot wait to see you again my silver prince." At this comment Eiji chuckled fondly and Toshiro turned a brilliant shade of fuchsia. Her silver _what!? _

"Good day Kazuo, Toshiro," Mr. Ito said before turning and waddling out the door, Akemi and Kaori on his heels. As soon as the door shut behind them Kazuo rounded on him, dark eyebrows slanted over his eyes, arms crossed over his chest.

"I specifically told you not to be late!" he snapped. Toshiro shrugged, not in any kind of mood to argue with his father.

"They didn't seem upset by it. With a kid of their own who plays soccer, they seemed to understand," he responded, his tone more than a bit chilly. His father frosted though he didn't say anything, instead turning his back on his son and walking a few paces towards the dining room.

"I expect you'll be returning to school now?" he asked. Hitsugaya nodded, sensing from the tension in the man's back that his father had something else to say.

"Yes…" he replied, awaiting Kazuo's next comment.

"That girl, Kaori, has taken a liking to you," he said casually. Toshiro didn't trust himself to reply and merely waited for his father to continue. "It would be beneficial to me for you to accept her affections."

"What!" Toshiro snapped, all cool lost as his father's words hit him like a charging rhinoceros.

"Relax boy, you don't have to do anything about it now. I'll speak to Eiji about further arrangements," he said to him. His head spinning Toshiro excused himself from the conversation, digging his keys from his pockets, stalking past his father and slamming the door on the way out of the house. It was very uncharacteristic of him to be unable to keep his cool but having to see that red haired lunatic again might very well spell the end for him. Not two minutes later he was roaring down the road, all thrill from the afternoon's soccer tryouts lost with this new turn of events.

……………

Momo did not sleep well that night. Hitsugaya had come in around 10:30 and he hadn't looked happy in the slightest. He had ignored all her attempts at conversation and had gone promptly to bed, refusing to say a single word to her about what was bothering him. She supposed it probably had something to do with his father but she knew it wasn't her place to ask and therefore she remained silent. Despite her roommate's rather disgruntling behavior, she couldn't help but be nervous about what the following day would bring. She felt like she had done very well at tryouts and she was hoping that whatever results were listed on that white sheet of paper tomorrow would agree with her.

Naturally the following school day went about as quickly as oozing molasses and Momo found herself fidgeting through all her classes, wanting nothing more than for the final bell to ring so she could race back to her art classroom and see the results posted outside. The other players were as restless as she was and when the ending bell did finally ring she was among several others literally running down the halls to check who would be the starters for this year's Death God's.

By the time she reached the art room a mob was already stationed outside the door, students wrestling each other out of the way in their attempts to read the names listed on the sheet. Biting her lip Momo made her way forward, wading through the masses of bodies as she did her best to read the names printed in tiny black letters posted on the wall. She had just about reached it when someone's elbow hit her directly in the face and she squeaked, stumbling backwards and falling to the ground. Gasping in pain she glanced up in time to see a shoe coming towards her and she rolled out of the way, doing her best to scramble to her feet, only to be pushed down again as more people charged forward.

"Ouch!" she cried as someone's foot made contact with her arm. Wriggling forward she crawled away from the crowd, only to feel a strong arm grab her shoulders and quite literally pick her up and out of harm's way. Glancing at her savior's face she was surprised to see Chad standing there, quite literally supporting all of her body weight with one hand.

"Oh hi Chad!" she said rather sheepishly. "Thanks…" He smiled at her before setting her on her feet again.

"No problem. Come on, I'll help you see the list just stay behind me," he said to her. Momo nodded, following him as he waded into the crowd. Being at least a good head taller than everyone else in the mob, not to mention much sturdier, the big goalie was able to push his way easily through the mob's of people and finally emerge right in front of the sheet. Momo was grateful that Chad had assisted her through the mass of people yet now his huge frame was blocking her view, ultimately putting her back at square one. She was about to tap his shoulder and ask politely if he could move two steps to his left when he turned to her, flashing the girl a thumbs up as he said:

"Congratulations new guy, you're right forward." Momo's eyes widened and she nearly pushed Chad out of the way in her rush to see the results for herself. There it was, plain as day: Right Wing…Masaki Hinamori. Knowing that now was not the time to be unleashing a girlish squeal of joy Momo contained herself and followed Chad back out through the mob, only to be met by Renji and Ichigo who were standing there grinning at her.

"Congrats short stuff," Renji said to her, grinding his knuckles into her skull in a clear symbol of affection.

"Ouch…thanks Renji," Momo replied, too happy to care that she had probably just suffered permanent brain damage.

"So are you coming to Matsumoto's tonight?" Ichigo asked her. Momo glanced up at him in confusion.

"Rangiku's? Why would we go there?" she inquired. Renji and Ichigo stared at her in disbelief while Chad looked as passive as ever.

"She always throws a party for the soccer team," the red head explained. "I guarantee you everyone's going to be there; it'll give you a chance to meet people."

"And get drunk as hell!" The three whirled to where Ikkaku and Yumichika were making their way out of the mob, both looking rather pleased with themselves.

"You two idiots made it again huh?" Ichigo asked, though Momo couldn't help but notice he didn't look in the least bit upset with the information.

"Like they wouldn't let someone of my caliber on the team," Ikkaku replied smartly while Yumichika grinned.

"Of course I got on the team. I'll be able to blind the opposing players with my beauty and leave them in the dust," he added, flipping his hair dramatically.

"Anyway, you going to show Hinamori?" Renji asked, going back to the question at hand. Momo hesitated, not wanting to be a spoil sport but also wanting to avoid alcohol as much as possible for multiple reasons. Ichigo, clearly sensing her problem, clapped her on the back.

"Don't worry about it. You don't have to go to get drunk," he said to her. "I don't."

"Spoilsport," Renji hissed, earning him a glare from Ichigo and a punch to the head which he only just managed to duck away from. Momo grinned weakly before nodding her head in defeat.

"Okay I'll go," she said to them. After all, what could go wrong?

…………………

**Famous last words…haha anyway. Once again I didn't get to put what I WANTED to in this chapter cuz the dinner at Hitsugaya's got a little long, story of my life. In any case I'm really glad you guys are enjoying this thus far. Next chapter will have some surprises and whether you guy's expect it or not we'll have to see. Thanks to Lorelai Kline for the brilliant Kon being Ichigo's good luck charm idea. You all should read her fic 'Pest Control' centering around Mashiro and Kensei, its brilliant! Thanks for the amazing reviews, I love you all!**

**~Phoenix**


	13. Discovered

**A/N: Hey everyone. Thank you so much for all the amazing reviews I've received from you thus far. Unfortunately the school year will be starting up soon, I'll be going to college really soon, and b/c of this won't be able to update as regularly as I have been. I'm not saying at all that I won't continue to update, no this story will definitely continue, just not as frequently as before. Or who knows, maybe I'll have craploads of free time and be able to update it more frequently. In any case please continue to bear w/ me. Thanks!!**

………………

Momo could hear the pounding music a block away from Rangiku's house and to be honest, she was amazed the cops hadn't made an appearance yet. Oh well, seeing how it was Rangiku, maybe they were used to things like this… After class had gotten out she had gone back to the dorm and changed out of her uniform before pondering what in the world to do before showing up to the party. It was only 5:00 and no one else planned on going until 8:30 at the very earliest. So, figuring she was tired anyway, Momo had done the logical thing and taken a nap seeing how she planned on being up ridiculously late anyway.

By the time she woke up it was 8:23 and she blearily rolled out from under the covers, glancing over to her roommate's perfectly made bed. Everything was as it had been prior to her nap so it was safe to assume that Hitsugaya had yet to return to the room. He had made the team, obviously, but even so Momo was unsure of whether or not he'd actually be attending the celebratory party. Yet if she knew him at all at this point, she figured he would most likely not be making an appearance.

So now here she was, standing by herself outside of Rangiku and Orihime's, about ready to plunge herself head first into a party she wasn't sure she should actually be attending. Taking a deep breath the girl put her hand on the door and stepped inside. Immediately she was nearly bowled over by the loud music and constant chatter issuing from the mouths of the guests and she resisted the urge to clamp her hands over her ears. Shaking her head she slipped inside, immediately looking around for someone she knew. Several familiar faces swam through her vision, a lot of whom she recognized from try outs but no one she actually talked to. Momo was about to go explore further when all at once she felt arms encircling her and the next thing she knew she was being enveloped in a massive glomp that could only belong to one person.

"Rangiku?" Momo half asked, half stated, whirling around to see the girl grinning at her.

"Correct!" she exclaimed. "Congratulations, I knew you would make it!" Momo smiled at her.

"Thanks," she responded. "Where's everyone else?" Rangiku shrugged, gesturing in a general backwards direction.

"Around," she said simply. "Rukia, Orihime, and some of the other girls are here too. Come on, let's go find 'em!" Momo allowed herself to be taken and pulled forward after her energetic friend, weaving through the partiers but keeping her eyes open for Renji, Ichigo, and the others.

"Hinamori!" Momo glanced up to see Rukia and Orihime walking towards her, Orihime immediately enveloping her in a hug very similar to the one she'd received from Rangiku.

"Hello," she said weakly.

"I'm so happy you're here! You really should come visit more often!" Orihime gushed. Momo nodded.

"I'll do that," she replied.

"There you guys are!" The three turned to see Ichigo and Renji making their way towards them, Renji had two beers in his hand and was clearly trying to get Ichigo to drink one of them, seeing how he continued to shove it in his direction.

"Orihime, Tatsuki's looking for you," Ichigo said, finally grabbing the beer from Renji and pushing it at Ikkaku who just happened to be passing by. The baldy shrugged, popped it open, and began downing it then and there. Orihime smiled and nodded in the strawberry's direction.

"Thank you Ichigo! See you soon Hinamori!" she said before scurrying into another room. Rukia watched her for a moment before turning to Ichigo, a smirk spreading across her lips.

"You're not drinking huh?" she asked him. Ichigo shook his head.

"You know I don't usually," he responded, shoving his hands into his pockets.

"Usually being the key word," Rukia stated, poking him in the chest. "Don't you think making the team is reason enough to pop open a beer or two?" The orange head frowned, flinching away from her but remaining silent. Rukia's smile only widened and she pressed on, sensing weakness.

"I know, you can't hold your liquor can you? You can't stomach it so you pretend you ca-…"

"Shut up! I can stomach it!" Ichigo interrupted. Rukia's eyes narrowed.

"Really?" she asked.

"Yes!" Ichigo snapped.

"Prove it!" The strawberry glared down at the dark haired girl, knowing she had him cornered.

"Fine!" he seethed and Rukia let out a whoop of delight, yanking the half empty can from Ikkaku's hands and shoving it into Ichigo's.

"You can start with this!" she stated triumphantly.

"H-hey!" Ikkaku stuttered and the same time Ichigo exclaimed: "Gross!" Rukia crossed her arms over her chest and glared up at him, looking very much like a stubborn child waiting for toys.

"Well…?" she chided. Ichigo glared at her a moment before taking the can firmly in his hands and chugging what was left of it. Renji shook his head, a grin of his own spreading across his face.

"You really shouldn't let her walk all over you like that Ichigo," he commented casually.

"Shut up!" Rukia snapped, kicking him in the back of the knee. Renji winced and toppled over, beer slashing all the way down his front. Rangiku scowled, kicking the redhead none too gently in the shoulder and causing more of the liquid to spill over.

"You're cleaning that up!" she ordered. Renji blinked up at her.

"What!?" he exclaimed but Rangiku had already turned to Rukia and was now ignoring him. Momo shook her head and slipped away, heading towards where she believed the kitchen to be. She was thirsty and hoped that maybe Rangiku might have something other than beer in her fridge. Slipping past Orihime and Tatsuki she turned into the kitchen only to see another group of people mixing drinks on the counter. The girl attempted to slide around them but was thwarted when a bright blue concoction was shoved in her face by one of the partiers.

"Here!" he practically shouted while Momo shook her head rapidly.

"Uh no really th-that's okay! I just want a coke!" she stammered. The kid shrugged.

"Suit yourself," he said before shoving the drink on someone else. Momo hurried past them, eyeing the unopened Pepsi cans on the opposite counter and promptly taking one.

"Hinamori?" Momo turned to see Kira walking towards her, one of the fruity looking alcoholic beverages in his hand, cheeks already slightly flushed from the drink.

"Hi," she responded, taking a sip of the Pepsi and smiling at him.

"Congratulations on making the team! That's really terrific!" he exclaimed, his words coming out a bit slurred. He wasn't wasted yet but clearly he was getting there.

"Thanks, you too," she told him. Kira nodded and there was a slight pause before he spoke up again.

"Sooo, now that you made the team and all would you mind kicking the ball around with me sometime? I think it'd be really fun," he stated. Momo stifled a giggle and nodded.

"Yeah that'd be great," she responded, hiding her smile behind another sip of Pepsi. Kira's face broke into a grin.

"Excellent!" he said before suddenly getting shoved to the side by a slightly buzzed Ikkaku.

"Move it lightweight," he snapped. Glancing up his eyes found Hinamori and immediately roved from her startled expression to the open soda in her hand.

"Is that all you're having?" he asked in disbelief. She nodded, feeling her face heat up as he continued to stare at her.

"I don't drink," she told him pointedly. Ikkaku raised an eyebrow.

"Have you even tried it?" he asked. Momo flushed darker.

"Well…no…" she mumbled. "But it's not really my thing!" Ikkaku snorted.

"Well if you've never tried it than how the hell would you know?" he asked stubbornly. Momo bit her lip, setting her Pepsi down as she mulled over a response. Unable to think of one she blurted out the next thing that came to mind.

"Uh, I have to use the bathroom!" she exclaimed before hurrying away and leaving her drink on the counter. Ikkaku shook his head, watching his teammate's retreating back.

"Some of em…so innocent," he mumbled. Kira shook his head.

"It's not a bad thing that he doesn't drink Ikkaku," he said bluntly. The cue ball opened his mouth to respond when his eyes suddenly landed on the tequila bottle to his left and the empty shot glasses next to it. His gaze roved from the bottle to Hinamori's unguarded soda can and back again, a wicked smile forming on his lips.

"I've got an idea," he said, grabbing one of the shot glasses in one hand and the tequila bottle in the other before advancing on the pop. Kira's eyes widened as he figured out what he was about to do and he started forward, putting himself between his bald friend and Hinamori's Pepsi.

"Wh-what do you think you're doing?!" he stammered. Ikkaku raised an eyebrow at him.

"The kids got to lighten up and the only way he's going to do that is to drink a few rounds," he replied. Kira bit his lip, still hesitating.

"I don't know…"

"Well I do, now get outta the way!" Ikkaku snapped, shoving the blonde to the side and carefully pouring two shots worth of tequila into her half empty Pepsi can. Kira shook his head, glancing around rapidly as though afraid they would be caught.

"This isn't a good idea… this won't turn out well… this is bad…"

"Would you shut up?" Ikkaku snapped stepping away from the soda and screwing the lid back onto the tequila bottle. "Here he comes; don't say a word!" Kira hesitated before slowly nodding his head, wincing as Hinamori stepped back into the kitchen.

Momo glanced from Kira to Ikkaku, both of whom were still leaning against the counter and seemed to be talking amongst themselves. She couldn't help but notice that the blonde looked very uncomfortable about something though knowing Kira, that wasn't an uncommon expression for him. Shaking it off she paused next to them, glancing from one face to the other.

"Did I miss anything?" she asked. Ikkaku shook his head.

"Nah. Hey want to have a chug contest?" he asked. Momo blinked at him.

"What?" she asked. The baldy smirked.

"You have about half that soda left right? I have half a beer... So let's see how can chug theirs faster," he said to her. The girl raised an eyebrow. This was random to say the least.

"Why?" she asked. Ikkaku frowned.

"Why not? Come on kid its fun. Besides it's not like I'm making you drink a beer or anything. I could go get you one personally if you'd rather have that?" he said to her, a slightly mocking edge to his tone. Momo frowned.

"No that's fine. Alright sure, why not?" she said to him, picking up the soda can in her hand and facing Ikkaku, her eyes meeting his determinedly. Kira started, opening his mouth to say something though closed it again at a glare from the other boy.

"Kira's the judge. Ready?" Ikkaku asked. Momo nodded.

"Yes," she replied stubbornly. Kira shook his head.

"Alright ready…get set…GO!" he exclaimed, throwing his hand down. Momo immediately brought the can to her lips and let the first swallow of liquid slide down her throat. It tasted weird, definitely different than when she had been drinking it at first. She almost put the can down but upon seeing Ikkaku still chugging away beside her she determinedly brought it back to her lips. She refused to lose and thus allow him gloating rights for however long he happened to dwell on his victory. Gritting her teeth and closing her eyes she tilted her head back and swallowed the remainder of the "Pepsi."

……………

Matsumoto giggled wildly at a joke Renji had just cracked from the couch beside her. She couldn't remember for the life of her what he'd said but she knew it was hilarious. Ichigo and Rukia were sprawled on the armchair across from her, Rukia half conscious, her head lolling against the orange heads shoulder. The boy had one arm wrapped around her, while his other hand clutched a half empty beer can.

"So much for not drinking, eh Kurosaki?" The redhead stated, smirking as the other boy glared at him.

"Shut up," he slurred, bringing the can to his lips again.

BAM!!! The four nearly jumped out of their chairs as a resounding crash echoed from the kitchen 10 feet away.

"What the hell?" Renji exclaimed, lurching to his feet and swaying on the spot before grabbing the couch for balance. A moment passed before Hinamori stumbled out of the kitchen, laughing like a crazy person.

"Ha ha ha ha HAH!! You suck Ikkaku! That's the THIRD chugging game I beat you at, you BALDY!" she screeched, chucking an empty can of beer back into the kitchen before doing a victory dance on the spot.

"H-Hinamori?" Renji stuttered, staring wide eyed at the kid who was now striking various poses and laughing like a maniac.

"I thought he said he didn't drink," Ichigo said dryly.

"Apparently he does," Rukia responded, lifting her head up and wincing with the effort it took. Apparently the raucous had helped jerk her out of her stupor. Rangiku bit her lip and made her way forward towards the hysterical girl, doing her best to keep the worry out of her face. Momo was not the type of person who would just suddenly decide to drink, especially under her circumstances so what in the world was going on? Right at that moment Kira flew out of the kitchen as well and anxiously grabbed at Momo's arms, clearly trying to interrupt her dance.

"Hinamori!" he shouted, trying to make himself heard over the laughter issuing from her mouth. Rangiku frowned, rounding on the blonde.

"Did you make him try something?" she asked sharply. Kira wavered under her glare, unused to seeing Matsumoto so serious, especially when she was drunk.

"N-no I didn't! It was all Ikkaku's idea!" he stammered, pointing back towards the kitchen to where the baldy was sitting amongst a cacophony of turned up chairs and upset beer mugs. Rangiku shook her head, grabbing Momo by the arm and leading her forward.

"Wha…?" Hinamori murmured, following the ginger haired girl clumsily. "Where are we going?" Matsumoto turned to her with a patient smile.

"We're going outside! Come on, it'll be fun! It's nice and cool out there," she told her. Momo pouted.

"But I wanna dance," she slurred, starting to rock her body back and forth again. Rangiku pulled her all the harder, trying to get her away from the prying eyes of the other partiers.

"And you can…outside," she responded sternly before opening the door and pulling Momo out, slamming the door shut behind her. As soon as they were outside Hinamori began to spin in circles, stumbling wildly forward and waving her arms out for balance.

"Whoa, this is fun! Rangiku dance with me!" she exclaimed, holding out her arms for Matsumoto to join her. Rangiku did her best to smile at the girl while pulling a cell phone from her pocket.

"Just a second, I have to make a phone call…" she replied before punching in the numbers and lifting the cell to her ear, hoping to god he would answer.

……………

The soft sound of his phone ringing brought Hitsugaya from his reverie and he set down the English book he'd been reading before sliding off his bed and heading over to where his phone was resting on the dresser. Peering at the tiny screen he saw Matsumoto's number flashing across it and he raised an eyebrow, unsure of whether or not to answer. Chances were the ginger haired girl was already drunk and had called him on a lark either to yell at him for not being there or just to talk about random things. There was, however, the slightest chance that she might actually have something important to say and it was this thought that brought his fingers to the receive button.

"Hello?" he said.

"Toshiro!" Matsumoto exclaimed, the relief evident in her voice. Hitsugaya frowned, the first pangs of worry inching their way into his stomach.

"Matsumoto? What's wrong?" he asked. There was a pause before the girl answered, sounding half amused, half exasperated.

"Hinamori's here," she responded shortly. The boy frowned.

"Okay. What does that have to do with anything?" he asked pointedly. He heard the slight intake of breath as Matsumoto hesitated before responding.

"Well he's not exactly in the best state of mind. I don't know what happened exactly but I think Ikkaku had something to do with it. Anyway, the kid's drunk as hell. It's obvious to anyone that he can't hold his liquor and I was wondering if maybe you could come get him and take him back to the dorms," she said to him. Toshiro hesitated, irritation now replacing the worry.

"He can't stay there?" he asked.

"No," Matsumoto responded, a little too quickly. Toshiro hesitated, wanting to ask why though something in his friend's voice told him not to. Matsumoto might be a little on the crazy side and was definitely more than a little bit drunk…but she wasn't the type of person to make crazy demands even while under the influence. Sighing he rubbed his temples in defeat.

"Yeah, I'll be there soon," he muttered.

"Thank you so much!" Matsumoto replied and Toshiro couldn't help but notice the hint of relief in her voice. Why was she so anxious to have his roommate out of there? Normally if one of their friends got wasted they would just crash at the house of whoever was hosting the party. There wasn't any logical reason why Hinamori shouldn't be able to do the same right? Not unless there was something Matsumoto knew that she just wasn't telling him. Shaking his head Toshiro grabbed his room key and started out the door, adding this question to the list he already had about his roommate.

It was 2:03 a.m, a ridiculous time to be awake, even on a Friday. Still the night was peaceful at this hour and very quiet which made the 10 minute walk to Rangiku's slightly enjoyable. He was surprised upon arrival to see that the two were standing outside instead of inside with everyone else. At least, he realized, Matsumoto was standing. Hinamori was spinning in circles and humming to himself, arms outstretched to either side of him and every once in awhile he would give them a flap as though attempting to lift off the ground and soar into the night sky. As soon as she saw him Matsumoto ran over and threw her arms around his neck, squishing the boy in a tight embrace.

"Thank you so much for coming!" she gushed.

"Get off me Matsumoto," Hitsugaya muttered, pushing himself out of her grip and taking a few steps backwards just to be safe.

"Hitsugaya! What're you doing here?" Hinamori had apparently noticed him and she pranced over, eyes sparkling, cheeks slightly flushed from the alcohol. "You're not a partier, you silly goose!" Toshiro raised an eyebrow and shot Rangiku a questioning look. The girl laughed nervously.

"Just get him back to the dorms safely. Good luck!" she chirped before turning and heading back inside, leaving the two alone. Hitsugaya sighed and shoved his hands into his pockets. Why was it that he was always ending up in these situations?

"Are we going in?" Hinamori asked, tilting her head like a confused puppy.

"No, we're going back," Hitsugaya answered shortly, starting down the sidewalk leading back towards campus.

"Well that's no fun!" Hinamori complained with a pout on her face and her fists planted into her sides. Hitsugaya paused and turned back to find that she hadn't moved and was now glaring at him stubbornly.

"Come on!" he hissed, feeling as though he was babysitting a 4 year old. She shook her head stubbornly.

"I want to party some more!" she protested before turning and heading back towards the house. Upon taking a step however, her toe made connection with the pavement and she toppled forward, waving her arms wildly in an attempt to keep her balance. Toshiro's body seemed to move without him telling it to as the next thing he knew he had dashed forward, catching his falling roommate before she hit the pavement, his right arm behind her back, left gripping her arm securely. They stared at each other for a moment before a grin spread across Hinamori's face.

"You know… I like it when you hold me like this," she murmured, burrowing her head into his chest. Hitsugaya's cheeks immediately flared red and he leapt away as though she had burned him.

"Don't say things like that to a guy!" he snapped. "Now come on, let's get back to the dorm." Hinamori frowned for a spell before another, sneakier smile quickly replaced it.

"Only if you give me a piggy back ride," she told him. Hitsugaya nearly smacked himself in the head.

"No way," he replied shortly. "A guy doesn't give another guy a piggy back ride. That's just….well that's just weird."

"Well that's no problem then," Hinamori said, nonchalantly making her way over to him.

"And why's that?" Hitsugaya asked exasperatedly.

"Because I'm a girl silly," Momo replied, as though this was the most obvious thing in the world. A silence settled over the two as Hitsugaya stared at her, blinking several times, his mouth opening and closing dumbly.

"Wh-what?" he stammered.

"I'm a girl so it's okay if you carry me back. Seriously I can't believe you haven't figured it out yet," she said, shaking her head.

"You're a girl?" he asked, finally finding his voice.

"Uh-huh! I'm Momo, Momo Hinamori. Masaki is just some dumb name my dad found on the internet," she replied with a shrug. Hitsugaya stared at her, his mind trying to wrap itself around what she had just told him. Masaki Hinamori, this person standing in front of him, his roommate…was a girl. Something in his mind clicked and suddenly it all made sense. This explained the bras, and the getting up early to shower. The girl Matsumoto had been shopping with must have been her and there was no way sunburn was the real reason why she had switched places with Kira. No wonder she'd been so defensive when Ikkaku poked fun at her for politeness or why her laugh always sounded forced and deep. So many things suddenly made sense…and now he just had to figure out what in the world to do about it.

"I feel kind of dizzy," she suddenly murmured and Toshiro glanced up to find she was indeed swaying on the spot. Now that he looked at her, really and truly looked at her, there was no way that face could belong to a guy. Biting his lip he made a split second decision. He would take her back to Dorm 2 and once there figure out what he was going to do about this whole mess.

"Come on," he muttered, turning and holding his arms out behind him. When she did nothing he turned his head to look at her and narrowed his eyes. "You wanted a piggy back right?" he asked. Her face lit up and she nodded, clambering onto his back and fastening her arms around his neck. Grabbing her under the legs Toshiro hoisted her up and was surprised to find she was incredibly light, yet another factor proving that his roommate was in fact, female.

"You smell nice," she murmured and rested her head on his shoulder, her eyes fluttering closed. Toshiro shook his head and started forward down the sidewalk, his mind whirring faster than it had in ages. Just what in the world was he supposed to do now?

………………

**YAY HE FINALLY FOUND OUT! I have been looking forward to writing that forever. Way to go Hinamori, you gave yourself away. Lol but now I can finally start writing fluff which is what I've wanted to do in all the other chapters…it's just kinda hard cuz he thought she was a dude this whole time. Well I hope that was a uniqueish way for him to find out and not the usual: 'oh my god the dude's shirtless and it's a she' deal that happens in a lot of other stories with this plotline. I tried to make it more original. Let me know what you guys think! Just so you know a decent amount of time passed before the first chugging competition and then Rangiku taking her outside. She wasn't just suddenly drunk…lol. **

**Earlier I mentioned that you should check out Lorelai Kline's story "Pest Control." Her account name is actually Sunny Lore… sorry bout that! Check it out, it's awesome!! Thanks so much, you all rock!**

**~Phoenix**


	14. By the Lakeshore

**A/N: Hey guys, sorry I haven't updated as rapidly as normal. I've been moving in and things are hectic yet I do my best to find some down time where I can write. Thanks so much for bearing with me, I'm sorry for the delays!!!**

……………

Momo could feel tiny rays of sunlight against her eyelids, kissing them softly and letting her know it was time to come out of dream world. Her limbs felt heavy and were as unwilling to move as her eyes were to open, her body surrounded by something warm and soft, calling her back into sleep. Sighing she burrowed deeper into her covers in an attempt to recall her rapidly departing slumber. When it refused to return after a few more minutes of lying on her stomach she rolled over and sat up, blearily rubbing her eyes and blinking tiredly.

It took her a moment to register that she was in her bed and wearing the clothes that she'd had on the day before. Why hadn't she changed into her pajamas like she usually did…? Oh yeah, she'd gone to Rangiku's party. Furrowing her brow she frowned as she recalled the events of the night before. She had gone over to Matsumoto's house and socialized for awhile before going into the kitchen in search of caffeine, meeting Ikkaku and Kira in the process. The cue ball had challenged her to a chugging game and after that things were hazy. No matter how hard she wracked her brain, she was having issues pulling up clear memories of what had happened after the competition. She couldn't shake the feeling that something important had gone down, if only she could remember what…

Gritting her teeth she laced her fingers through her hair and concentrated, trying desperately to remember something of the night before. Her Pepsi had tasted funny, she remembered that, but she hadn't wanted to stop drinking it and allow Ikkaku the satisfaction of having beaten her. Remembering how strange she had felt after that it didn't take her long to realize she most likely had gotten drunk and then, being in a rather brash state of mind, had taken Ikkaku up on yet another competition. Screwing her eyes shut she pushed her brain, leafing through her memories like a movie in slow motion.

Rangiku had done something, taken her out of the room she thought, and then proceeded to bring her outside. She had called someone… A flash of white hair instantly reminded her who and Momo winced, wondering why in the world her busty friend had called him of all people. Oh right, because he was her roommate and the only one of her friends not drinking at that party. Groaning Momo buried her head in her hands, her temples pulsing against her fingers. What had happened next?

He had said something to her about going back and she distinctly remembered not wanting to though she'd finally agreed upon one condition. A pink blush fanned across her cheeks as she recalled what she had demanded of him and a brief image of his reaction flashed through her mind before rejoining the jumble of confusion that was her current memory. Hitsugaya wasn't the type of person who would just go along with what people told him to do, especially if said person happened to be drunk. She also couldn't see him giving another guy a piggy back so there would be no reason for him to have done so unless… And that's when the memory hit her like a tidal wave. She had told him. He knew her secret.

Without thinking Momo vaulted out of bed and onto the floor, her eyes flying around the room as though she expected him to suddenly appear there. She had to talk to him! She had to make sure he hadn't told anybody! Heart pounding she raced out of her room, remembering her key at the last second before sprinting down the hallway. The girl ignored the surprised stares of her fellow dorm mates, knowing she looked like a mess with her disheveled hair and wrinkly clothes. Jumping down the last two stairs she landed on the ground floor, sprinted past more confused guys, and flew out the door. As soon as she arrived outside her eyes immediately scanned the area for any sign of the familiar head of white hair and teal green eyes. Unfortunately he was no where to be found.

Taking deep breaths Momo attempted to calm herself down, knowing it would be unusual for him to randomly be hanging out in front of the dorm anyway. Beginning to walk forward she let her feet lead the way and it wasn't long before she ended up at the soccer fields. Upon arrival however, it was painfully obvious that her roommate was not here and she bit her lip in agitation, scanning her eyes around the field one more time before turning around and heading back in the direction of the dorms. She was so preoccupied with finding Hitsugaya that she didn't see the person waving at her until she was right on top of them.

"Oy Hinamori, you awake?" The girl jerked out of her thoughts and glanced up to see Renji staring down at her, funny eyebrows raised in amusement.

"Oh, yes sorry," she mumbled, dropping her gaze from his and glancing behind him to try and catch a glimpse of her elusive roommate. The redhead frowned at her dismissive tone and leaned down so his face was level with hers.

"You okay? You seem distracted," he said to her. She nodded several times, doing her best to force a smile to her lips.

"Yes I'm fine. Have you seen Hitsugaya around anywhere?" she asked him, deliberately changing the subject. Renji blinked before shoving his hands into his pockets and shrugging.

"If he's not at the soccer fields I'd check the library," he said to her. "That kid only ever thinks about two things and that's studying and soccer so it makes him pretty easy to find." Momo mentally conked herself in the head, wondering why in the world she hadn't thought of that.

"Thanks a bunch Renji, see you around," she said to him before heading off towards the building. As she walked she couldn't help but notice that her heart felt just the tiniest bit lighter. It had been obvious that Renji still believed she was a boy which meant it was more than likely that Hitsugaya hadn't said anything about her real gender… or if he had it hadn't been to the redhead. Momo gave herself a shake, ridding her mind of such pessimistic thoughts. For now she had to believe that her secret was still safe until she could talk to Hitsugaya and confirm it.

The library was a furnished brick building next to the high school with glass windows overlooking the campus and a large sign reading 'Quiet Study Area' hanging just behind the doors. Taking a deep breath she set her hand on the smooth door handle and stepped inside, immediately being blasted in the face by a wave of air conditioning.

Shivering she let the door close behind her before stepping clear of the doorway and into the library itself. It was absolutely crammed from top to bottom with books of all lengths and variety, ranging from horror novels to Shakespearian plays. A checkout counter was positioned near the entryway and she was surprised to see none other than Uryu checking out a fellow student, looking rather intense for a so called librarian. Hinamori had had no idea students could work in a place like this. Not wanting to disturb him she crept past, peering between the rows of bookshelves for any sign of Hitsugaya.

When she didn't find him on the first floor she proceeded up a set of carpeted stairs to the second and was immediately met with better luck. While this landing too had numerous bookshelves it seemed to be more of a work area with several cushioned chairs placed here and there while multiple wooden tables stood every couple of feet, their tops covered with various books belonging to studying students. A familiar shock of white hair caught Momo's eye and she glanced to her right to see her roommate sitting at one such table, a large text book opened in front of him, his right hand scribbling furiously in a notebook. Swallowing she steeled herself and walked over to him, pausing nervously upon reaching the table and fiddling with a loose thread on her shirt. The boy glanced up and his teal eyes met hers, widening slightly before he glanced back down at his work.

"Do you need something?" he murmured, his voice barely reaching above a whisper.

"I need to talk to you," she replied, ignoring the students who were glaring at her for disrupting their concentration despite her best attempts to speak quietly.

"I'm busy right now," he muttered, still not lifting his eyes from the textbook.

"Please, it's important," she responded, doing her best to keep the pleading note from her voice and failing miserably. Hitsugaya's hand paused in its writing and Momo could almost hear the gears in his head whirring like crazy. He lifted his head so he was once more looking at her and she bit her lip, trying to appear aloof but in reality knowing she looked more desperate than anything. Finally he sighed and pushed his chair back, standing and closing the text book before turning to her.

"Alright," he said to her, scooping the book up in his arms and looking at her expectantly.

"Um, what?" Momo asked, feeling herself beginning to blush under his gaze and having to avert her eyes in order to avoid crisis.

"Did you want to go somewhere. This isn't exactly the best place to talk about…whatever you want to talk about," he finished lamely, catching himself before he'd finished his original sentence. Hinamori nodded.

"Okay," she replied, the awkward rain cloud over their heads expanding all the more. There was another pause in which she remained immobile and finally the boy shook his head and took two steps towards the exit.

"Follow me, idiot," he muttered. Momo flushed and bowed her head, trailing along behind him like a lost puppy. The two exited the library and made their way across the grounds, heading in the direction of the soccer fields. Hinamori wondered for a brief moment if that was where they were going to talk though smashed that idea as Hitsugaya walked across them and continued forward without a backwards glance. She had never been any further in this direction before and had never bothered to see what was past the hills on the opposite side of the field so she was pleasantly surprised upon scaling them to see a small lake surrounded by various smatterings of trees and wild life.

"I didn't know this was here," she murmured out loud though immediately shut her mouth when Hitsugaya snorted.

"Where did you think Ryouta's fishing club hung out?" he asked her. Momo blinked.

"We have a fishing club?" Hitsugaya shook his head, clearly exasperated.

"Never mind…" A small wooden bench was placed on the lakeshore and Hitsugaya made his way through the overgrown grass to sit on it, Hinamori doing her best to follow him as well as she could without tripping over the various sticks and brambles in her path.

The two sat there in silence for a spell, Hinamori turning over in her mind just how exactly she was going to begin what was bound to be one of the most awkward conversations of her life. Fortunately, Hitsugaya started it for her.

"So what exactly are you doing here?" he asked her, his teal eyes looking out across the expanse of water, hair blowing in the tiny breeze that had picked up since they first departed the library. Momo sighed, knowing she should start at the beginning.

"Well it all started when my dad…"

……………

Hitsugaya listened to the girl talk, more and more puzzle pieces falling into place the more Hinamori explained exactly what had been going on in her life for the past week. After all that was how long it had been; a week. For some reason it felt like much more than that. Giving himself a mental shake he tuned back in to what she was saying until she finally closed her mouth and stared at her hands clasped tightly in her lap. It was obvious how nervous she was and how much of a difficult situation her current circumstances were putting her in. When he didn't respond she looked at him wearily, her bottom lip quivering slightly, eyes wide and scared looking. For some reason he hated seeing her like that.

"Are you going to tell anyone?" she asked, the question coming out in a whisper as though she couldn't get her voice to quite cooperate with her wishes. He sighed, leaning back against the bench and crossing his arms over his chest.

"I don't think it's a good idea for you to be here," he told her bluntly and Hinamori visibly winced. "But I guess you've been okay so far." The girl's eyes widened and she turned to stare at him, hardly daring to hope.

"So does that mean…?" she trailed off, waiting for him to confirm it. The boy stood, walking forward several paces so he was standing right at the edge of the lake and staring over it, his back to her.

"…I won't say anything," he finally murmured, his voice just audible on the wind's breath. He heard a happy gasp from behind him and the next thing he knew something had barreled into his back and he had two skinny arms wrapped around his stomach, holding him tightly.

"Thank you so much!" Hinamori gasped. "I can't believe- I mean- thank you!" Hitsugaya felt his face heat up about 100+ degrees and he rapidly attempted to step out of her grip, forgetting that there was a lake not one foot in front of him. With an uncharacteristic yelp he felt himself pitching forward, taking the girl clinging to his back with him and with an audible splash the two fell into the water.

Hitsugaya felt the arms around his chest loosen and then let go entirely as the water separated them and he rapidly surfaced, gasping for breath and pushing wet hair from his eyes. Fortunately it wasn't very deep and he could easily stand up, wasting no time whirling around to make sure Hinamori had surfaced okay. She had and was standing and staring at him with such a confused look on her face that he had to use his utmost self control to avoid the smile that desperately wanted to break free. Temporarily ignoring his soaking wet clothes and sopping hair the boy waded over to her, pausing two feet from where she stood.

"Are you okay, Hinamori?" he asked, raising his eyebrows as she nodded rapidly.

"Y-yes! That just startled me a little," she replied, doing her best to wipe the rivulets of water from her face and eyes. Hitsugaya frowned as she continued to wipe at her eyes and it took him a moment to realize that she was crying which confused him more than ever.

"A-are you…? What's wrong?!" he asked awkwardly, now more than a little concerned that she had somehow hurt herself in the fall. She rapidly shook her head, the color rising to her cheeks as she scrubbed furiously at her face.

"Stupid tears, stop crying!" she demanded but to no avail. Hitsugaya glanced awkwardly around, trying to locate a loose rock or pointy stick that could be the cause of her attitude swing.

"Did you hurt yourself?" he asked, figuring he could pinpoint the cause if he just asked her. She shook her head again.

"N-no I didn't! Honestly I'm just relieved," she replied, sniffing loudly but doing her best to give him a watery smile. Hitsugaya cocked a brow.

"Relieved?" he asked, feeling more awkward than ever. He had never cried upon feeling relieved and he wasn't quite sure what to do with the teary girl in front of him.

"I was so scared that you were going to tell on me and I would have to leave! I didn't want to do that, I really really like it here!" she exclaimed. "I'll do my best not to get in your way or anything and if you want to change rooms I completely understand…"

"Hinamori," Hitsugaya stated, cutting her off. "Calm down and stop worrying so much. I don't care if you're my roommate, it's better than you being stuck with someone who doesn't know. At least this way it'll be easier to avoid any…awkward situations," he muttered, the bra instance flashing through both of their minds. Hinamori flushed a little but couldn't hide the smile that appeared on her lips. She was relieved that Hitsugaya still wanted to be her roommate despite the circumstances because for some reason she didn't want to be with anyone else, no matter how nice they might be.

"Thanks…Shiro!" she suddenly exclaimed, shoving her hands forward and splashing a wave of water at him before turning and dashing as fast as she could out of the lake. Hitsugaya blinked, stunned for a moment as fresh water dripped from his hair and clothes before the full realization of what she had just said hit him like a train.

"Shiro!? Wh-what!? Don't call me that!" he shouted, wading after her as fast as he could. Hinamori giggled and sprang out of the lake, dashing up the hill and standing on top of it, safely out of the way of any counter strikes her roommate might have performed. Pouting she put her hands on her hips in a scolding fashion.

"It's only fair! You can't call me bed wetter if I don't have a nick name for you!" she said to him, as though this was the most obvious thing in the world.

"It's not supposed to be a cutesy nick name!" he snapped, sloshing out of the water. "What if someone hears you call me that?" Hinamori shrugged.

"They won't," she replied innocently. "You know we're going to get a lot of odd looks when we both come back soaking wet." Toshiro shook his head, joining her at the top of the hill and shivering slightly. Now that they were out of the water his shirt felt like a wet blanket, only made cooler by the playful breeze blowing through the air. Yanking it over his head he balled it up and threw it at Hinamori, a satisfied smile on his face at the shocked expression on hers.

"Don't call me Shiro," he muttered before turning and heading back towards the soccer fields, a blushing Hinamori once more following along behind him.

………………

Aizen watched the two from where he stood concealed by the trees, his brown eyes narrowing as he saw Hitsugaya throw his sopping shirt at Hinamori, saw the faint blush that fanned across her cheeks as she watched him walk away.

"So that was your secret hm?" he asked quietly, his mind whirring one thousand miles per minute. His eyes swiveled to where Hitsugaya had just disappeared behind the hill and the familiar knot of dislike clenched in his gut as it did whenever he laid eyes on the boy. He was so amazingly oblivious to everything and yet so frustratingly sharp at the same time. He could tell every time the two spoke that Toshiro Hitsugaya did not trust him and probably never would. Well, he supposed, he had good reason not to.

Aizen chuckled to himself, stepping out from his hiding place and making his way over to the bench where the two had been sitting mere minutes before. A large mathematics textbook was sitting there and the man picked it up, idly turning it over in his hands as he stared out over the lake. Something would have to be done about that young man's perception… But all in good time. For now the man was content to sit back and watch events continue to unfold, biding his time before making his move. The players were already gathering and it wouldn't be long before the real game began.

……………

**Okaaaay I know it was a shorter chapter but I wanted to get an update out and life's crazy right now. In any case I'm sorry for the slight delay in updating, hopefully the next chapter will be longer but I can't promise when it will be out. Thank so much for being patient with me. I start classes Monday and right now is "Welcome Week" so I have to be social and make friends… which leaves little time for writing. You guys are amazing! Thanks so much for your encouragement and making this the most successful story I've written in all the years I've been on this site!**

**~Phoenix**


	15. Suspicions

**A/N: Hey everyone! Thanks for putting up with my slower updates lately… You're all awesome! This chapter is dedicated to larkinlover, I really hope you're feeling better!!!**

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Momo woke up Sunday morning in a much better mood than she had been in all week. Yesterday had gone so much better than she'd thought it would and even the tumble into the lake hadn't dampened her spirits, if anything it had just added to her upbeat attitude. Sighing she rolled over so she was facing Hitsugaya's bed and was surprised to see that for once he was still in it. Curious she glanced at his bedside table to see that it was only 8:42 a.m, a very unusual hour for her to be awake indeed. Closing her eyes she attempted to fall back into sleep yet it was a futile effort and after a few more minutes of tossing and turning she finally rolled out of bed, ready to get a jump start on the day.

Soccer practice didn't start until tomorrow and so she figured she might as well get a few laps around the campus done before heading over to Urahara's to get some breakfast. Rifling through her drawers she pulled out a baggy white t-shirt and an equally baggy pair of black shorts before heading down the hallway and into the bathroom. Not surprisingly it was deserted, she didn't expect anyone to be awake at this hour, nevertheless she slid into a stall and changed there. She couldn't expect everyone who happened upon her secret to keep it quiet.

Once she was finished she stepped up to the sink and stared at herself in the mirror for a few moments. Her hair was slowly but surely growing, she could probably fix it into two small pigtails if she tried, though why she would want to do this was beyond her. It still looked rather rumpled from sleep and pouting she ran a hand through it, trying to straighten the stubborn strands into some kind of order. Satisfied she gave her reflection a happy nod before once more heading out into the hallway, the slight spring to her step revealing her happy mood.

Heading down the stairs she stepped onto the first floor landing and made her way across the tiled floor, smiling once at the half asleep receptionist behind the desk before making her way out the door. It was a beautiful morning complete with cloudless blue skies and singing birds, almost like something right out of a cheesy cartoon. Needless to say Momo wasn't complaining and she took advantage of the weather, beginning her jog then and there.

The grounds were quiet as it was early Sunday morning and most of the students were taking advantage of the weekend to get in a couple extra hours of sleep. Momo jogged past Dorms One and Three, and continued past the high school, library, and soccer fields. She was tempted to go to the lake again but she knew she would only get distracted and waste minutes of her morning exercise. Besides, she had the entire rest of the day to visit that tiny spot. Maybe she would bring her English book out there and read for awhile.

The girl took a couple laps around the soccer field, the two goals set up on either end reminding her that she really did need to buy a soccer ball and stop borrowing Hitsugaya's all the time. Maybe that was something else she would add to her list of things to do that day. She was just about to begin her third lap around when a familiar head of blonde hair making their way towards her caught her attention. Smiling she paused in her running, allowing Kira to catch up with her. He too was dressed in work out attire, loose shorts and a yellow tee, tiny beads of sweat already making their way down his temples and neck before being absorbed by his shirt.

"Morning!" she said cheerily and he wasted no time returning her grin.

"Morning," he responded, wiping the back of his hand across his forehead before letting it fall to his side again. "I'm surprised to see you here." Momo shrugged, allowing a tiny laugh to escape her lips.

"Yeah normally I sleep in. I don't know, I guess it was just something about the morning," she replied. "Do you normally run by yourself this early?" Kira shrugged as well, giving his head a small shake.

"No, normally Ikkaku, Renji, or Ichigo come with me but they're holed up in the dojo this morning," he responded. Momo frowned, her brows furrowing in curiosity.

"Dojo?" she asked confused. Kira nodded.

"Yeah the three of them belong to a dojo not far from here. It's run by this man who's said to be an amazing fighter. Rumor has it one punch from him and you'll be out for weeks!" he said to her, his voice raising excitedly. Momo blinked.

"Really?" she inquired.

"Yeah! Apparently he's incredible though I've never seen him myself. Renji, Ikkaku, and Ichigo have a lot to say about him though, especially Ikkaku. I've never heard him speak highly of anyone yet he practically worships the guy!" he exclaimed. Momo raised her eyebrows, unable to picture Ikkaku praising anybody. This man must be talented indeed in order to have gained the cue ball's respect. Kira shrugged, taking advantage of her silence to continue.

"In any case Ichigo told me the guy was sick of them coming in late and acting like a bunch of weaklings. He said if they didn't show up this morning he'd get one of his assistants to escort them personally which I guess was motivation enough," he said to her. Momo laughed outright, unable to believe there was anyone who had such a firm grip on her three friends. She would like to meet him personally, just to make sure he actually existed.

"That's amazing! I can't picture those three taking orders from anyone," she commented. Kira shrugged.

"Me either. I suppose we'd just have to meet the guy huh?" he said to her. She nodded.

"Yeah." A silence settled over the two for a moment before a thoughtful expression consumed Kira's face and he spoke up again.

"You know, now that I think of it I think Hitsugaya goes there too… or at least he used to," he commented. Momo glanced up at him, her interest more piqued than ever.

"Oh yeah?" she asked. Kira nodded.

"I think he was really good too. I'd be amazed to know how he would find time to go with his schedule as busy as it is," he continued. Hinamori nodded, adding this to her list of things she wanted to know about her roommate.

"Do you know the name of this Dojo master?" she inquired. Kira hesitated, clearly wracking his brain to come up with the answer.

"Zaraki I think," he finally said. "Kenpachi Zaraki." Momo blinked, turning the name over in her mind.

"Kenpachi…" she murmured, chewing on her lower lip. "I guess that is kind of an intimidating name isn't it?" Kira shrugged before grinning at her.

"I guess so but it's probably all talk. Ikkaku's good at blowing things way out of proportion anyway," he said to her. Momo laughed.

"Yeah, you're probably right." There was another pause before Kira cleared his throat and dropped his gaze to the ground, scratching the back of his head sheepishly.

"Soo since today is Sunday and everything, and since we don't have classes, I was wondering if maybe…er that is, maybe you might want to, um you know, gogetlunchwithmeorsomething!" he finally blurted out, his cheeks tinged slightly red, his face a mask of anticipation. Momo stared at him for a moment, trying to decipher what in the world he had said.

"What?" she finally asked. Kira's face, if possible, turned an even darker shade of fuchsia.

"I mean, well I'm free all day so I was wondering if…"

"Hey Hinamori, Kira!" Momo glanced up to see Hisagi walking towards them, looking more than a little bit attractive as he was completely shirtless and wearing only a pair of loose soccer shorts and shoes, a black necklace hanging around his neck with a small white skull dangling off it.

"Hello!" Momo replied, waving the young man over. Kira waved too but didn't say anything to acknowledge his fellow teammate.

"I'm surprised to see you guys up so early," Hisagi commented, a knowing smirk spreading over his lips. Hinamori grinned sheepishly.

"It is unusual…" she replied while Kira just shrugged.

"I usually am out running at this hour. You didn't go to any parties last night?" the blonde asked. Hisagi shook his head, looking more than a little bit regretful.

"No. As captain of the soccer team I have to maintain at least some sense of responsibility," he responded in a tone that sounded none to convincing. Kira grinned at him.

"Really? I'll bet you just weren't invited to any," he said. Hisagi glared at him, wasting no time giving the blonde a solid whack to the head.

"Shut up!" he snapped. "Anyway if you guys weren't up to anything later I was wondering if you might want to go out and catch a bite to eat." Momo shook her head, immediately liking the idea of getting to hang out with her friends in a setting that didn't involve any alcohol.

"Sure! What time were you thinking?" she asked. Hisagi shrugged.

"Want to say around noon?" he suggested. Momo nodded rapidly.

"That sounds great! You're coming aren't you Kira?" she inquired, turning expectantly to the blonde. The boy blinked at her for a moment before another tiny blush spread across his cheeks and he lowered his head in defeat.

"S-sure," he replied, giving her a half hearted smile, "that sounds great." Hisagi grinned, wiping a bead of sweat from his forehead before turning back to Momo.

"Want to do me a favor Hinamori and ask Hitsugaya and a couple of the others if they would be interested in coming too? The kid doesn't listen to a word I say but he may listen to you," he asked of her. Momo blinked at him, rather taken a back by his words.

"Um yes I guess I could. I don't know why he would listen to me and not you though," she responded. Hisagi shrugged his shoulders, shoving his hands into the pockets of his shorts.

"Just a hunch," he replied evenly. "Alright well I'll talk to you guys later today." The two nodded and gave their teammate a slight wave before he once more headed on his way. Turning back to the blonde Momo tilted her head to the side, a light smile on her face.

"So what did you want to ask me?" she inquired. Kira coughed once before rapidly shaking his head.

"Oh nothing, don't worry about that. It wasn't a big deal anyway," he responded airily. Momo frowned.

"Well if you're sure…" she responded, trailing off and fixing him with a confused stare. Kira chuckled nervously before backing up a few paces and turning in the opposite direction.

"Yeah I'm sure! I'm going to finish my jog now so I'll see you around Hinamori!" he called before taking off across the grass. Momo blinked.

"Okay, see you later," she muttered lamely, more than a little confused by her friend's strange actions. Figuring there wasn't much to do but continue her jog she headed on her way, now running back in the direction of the dorms. She wasn't sure if Hitsugaya would be awake yet but if he was it would be a perfect time to ask him about hanging out with everybody later.

Hisagi's words still puzzled her. Why in the world would her roommate listen to her over him? I mean Hisagi was his fellow captain, the two clearly had to work together a lot of the time so it would make sense that they'd listen to each other right? She was so lost in her thoughts she didn't see the man walking towards her until she was practically on top of him.

"Ah Hinamori; pleasant seeing you at this hour." The girl stopped so suddenly she nearly lost her balance and had to take a moment to regain her composure before glancing up at the person who had spoken to her.

"A-Aizen! Good morning sir!" she yelped, feeling her face heat up almost instantly. The man laughed quietly, clearly finding her reaction more than a little bit amusing.

"Good morning to you too," he responded pleasantly, smiling down at her and causing her face to heat up even more. "May I ask what you're up to at this hour?"

"Oh, o-of course! I'm just taking a jog so I can stay in shape for the soccer team…" she told him, trailing off and suddenly feeling rather silly.

"Yes I saw that you made it. Congratulations, I knew you could do it," he said to her. Hinamori felt a blush fanning over her face and, mortified, she glanced down, her shoes much more fascinating than they had been seconds earlier.

"Th-thank you sir," she replied, not trusting herself to look up.

"Ah, that reminds me. I believe I have a textbook that belongs to Hitsugaya. Since you're his roommate would it be alright if I gave it to you so you could deliver it to him?" he asked. Hinamori rapidly nodded her head, her gaze once more finding his.

"Of course! Absolutely! I'd be more than happy to do that!" she responded. Aizen's lips melted into a smile and he nodded his head.

"Thank you Hinamori I appreciate that very much. If you could follow me then," he said to her. Momo nodded and fell into step along side him, doing her best not to peak glances at the man from the corner of her eyes. The two headed into the welcome center in silence and Hinamori realized that this building was where all the teacher's offices were. No wonder she hadn't seen any in her endeavors around the high school itself. Shrugging it off she followed the man into what she assumed was his office. It was a neat little space with papers set neatly on one side of a desk, a cup of half drunk coffee in the corner and various smatterings of pens and pencils laid here or there across the wooden top. There was, she noticed, a complete absence of pictures or photographs of any kind on the desk, making her wonder if Aizen had a family that he was particularly close to. She remained silent however, figuring it was not her place to ask.

"Here you are." The girl glanced up to see Aizen holding the textbook out to her, the ceiling lights reflecting in his glasses and making it impossible to see his eyes. "Please give my regards to Hitsugaya." Momo smiled and nodded, taking the textbook and backing out of the office.

"I'll be sure to do that," she told him. The man nodded and he held up his hand in a gesture of farewell as she left the room. Glancing down at the book in her hands Momo made a face at the thickness of it. How could Hitsugaya actually read something like this willingly? Shaking her head she figured this was yet another question she would avoid and rapidly closed the distance between herself and Dorm 2. She wasted no time heading in the door, climbing up the stairs and making her way down the hallway to their room. Sliding the key into the lock she turned the knob and pushed inward, stepping through the doorframe and into the familiar dorm.

Not surprisingly she found her roommate awake and sitting on his bed, an apple in one hand and his cell phone in the other. He glanced up at her entrance, grunted once, and went back to his phone. Momo rolled her eyes, by now far too used to this form of greeting from the young man.

"Good morning!" she said cheerily just because she knew it would push his buttons. The boy grunted again though still made no attempt at a response, choosing instead to take another bite of his apple. Momo pouted, refusing to give up until she got at least something out of him.

"I have your textbook here," she stated, holding it up in one hand and placing the other on her hip. This got his attention and he glanced up at her before his eyes narrowed and he stood up, reaching out his hand and easily taking the book from her.

"Where did you find it?" he asked. The girl shrugged.

"I didn't find it Aizen did. He told me to give it to you," she said to him. Toshiro immediately froze, his body tensing automatically.

"Aizen gave it to you?" he asked, just to make sure he'd heard her correctly. Momo nodded, unfazed by his sudden change in attitude.

"Uh-huh. He said to give you his regards," she responded, flopping onto her bed and burying her head in the pillow.

"That's all he said to you?" Toshiro pressed, taking a step towards her. Momo frowned.

"Yes, that's all," she answered, sounding more than a little bit put off by her roommate's urgent tone.

"How did he know it was mine?" he asked her. Momo sighed and sat up, fixing him with an exasperated look.

"I don't know, you probably have your name in it somewhere. I don't know why you're making such a big deal out of this," she said to him. Hitsugaya opened his mouth to respond though closed it again, knowing it was a lost cause. Shaking his head he returned to his bed and sat down, placing the textbook on his lap and opening it to the inside cover. There was a space for students to put their names but he had neglected to do so, thus leaving the space blank. His sense of unease only continued to grow as he paged through the textbook, looking for any sign, any note, that would give away the fact that this book indeed belonged to him yet he could find no trace of anything. The only way Aizen could have known this book was his was if…

Alarm flashed through his heart and he immediately looked over to where Hinamori was curled up on her mattress, looking for all the world like an innocent little girl. She seemed to sense his eyes on her for she chose that moment to open hers, a smile instantly appearing on her lips.

"Oh, that reminds me! Hisagi asked us if we wanted to go out to lunch with him, Kira, and a couple of the others. I think it would be a lot of fun and I would love it if you could go too!" she said to him, her eyes wide and hopeful. Hitsugaya looked away, glaring down at the textbook sitting tauntingly in his lap.

"I'll go," he muttered, choosing not to look at the shocked expression he knew she was probably wearing. After all if his suspicions were correct, he'd be wanting to keep a much closer eye on his roommate.

……………

**Hey guys. Sorry this chapter was almost completely uneventful. I promise a lot will happen next chapter but I wanted to get an update out for ya so please forgive me!!! Kenpachi will finally be coming into it soonish too which is awesome cuz I love him! So I know my updates are getting shorter and the time in between them is getting longer. I sincerely apologize but my schedule is only continuing to get busier and busier. I love writing this however so will continue to do my best to give you your updates as well as continuing to write for my own peace of mind. Thank you so much for putting up with me, you're all amazing!!**

**~Phoenix**


	16. Narrow Escape

**A/N: Thanks for continuing to be so awesome. You reviewers are the ones making this story happen so thank you so much! **

**I DREW A COMIC PLEASE CHECK IT OUT FOR ME! Lol I don't usually put art up but I drew a short comic from a scene in the story Toro Nagashi by Enchanted. Its Hitsu/Hina, obviously, and I would love it very much if you would check it out! Toshiro is all wrong it in so I apologize but anyway here's the link:**

.com/art/I-ll-Protect-You-pt-1-135594360

**I understand that Toshiro is too big and his hair is the wrong color so I'm really sorry bout that. I figured out after I did it that if I just my darker tones to highlight his hair as opposed to coloring the whole damn thing gray it would turn out better. I apologize for being stupid _. Hope you like it anyway! Thanks! Love you guys! If the link doesn't work look up PhoenixSong42 on deviant art!**

……………

Izuru Kira was, to say the least, more than a little bit frustrated. He had just talked to his friend, his GUY friend, his GUY teammate, and made it sound like he wanted to go on a date with him. HIM not her… HIM! Which was completely not the objective or the message he had wanted to get across. Hinamori was a very nice, likable, friendly guy. It was only natural that he would want to spend more time hanging out with someone like that especially if he was new to the area. There was nothing wrong with asking a guy friend to go hang out and have lunch sometime, maybe talk about the latest homework assignments or discuss recent news in the soccer world. Absolutely, positively, undoubtedly nothing wrong with this idea… It was the other feelings that were the problem.

Kira groaned out loud for what had to be the thousandth time in the past ten minutes. What in the world was he thinking? There were no other feelings! Hinamori was just a friend, just another one of the guys. But if that was the case then why in the world had he been so nervous upon asking him to hang out? He had stumbled over his words and ended up sounding like a complete and total idiot! It was probably pure luck that Hisagi had come along when he had otherwise he was bound to have made even more of an idiot of himself.

"Why couldn't I just ask him to hang out like normal? It wouldn't have been a problem if it was Renji, Ikkaku, or Ichigo," the blonde muttered to himself, burying his face in his hands. Yet the fact remained that Hinamori was most definitely not Renji, Ikkaku, or Ichigo. Kira's heart didn't flutter a bit when any of those three grinned at him, and his face didn't heat up whenever he accidentally brushed their shoulders with his own. He didn't anticipate seeing them the way he did Hinamori and they diffidently weren't as cute…

"WHAT!??" Kira burst out, jumping off his bed, appalled at the thought that had just crossed his mind. Hinamori cute? Hinamori was a dude…hell he was a dude! There was no way he had the right to be thinking such thoughts! No way he should even be considering that! Izuru Kira had never seen any other guy in the same light that he saw Hinamori so technically he wasn't gay…right?

The boy groaned and collapsed back onto his bed, burying his face in the pillow. Maybe he wouldn't go to lunch with Hisagi and the gang after all. Hinamori had said that he was going to be there and it might be better to avoid him at least for a little while. There wasn't much he could do about soccer practice but aside from that it shouldn't be that hard to keep his distance.

An image of Hinamori's smiling face chose that moment to pass through his mind and immediately his face felt warmer and his heart skipped a beat. The boy bit his lip. It would be silly to not show up to lunch after both Hisagi and Hinamori had heard him say he could go. Eventually he would probably end up having to create some kind of excuse and lying was most definitely not his forte. Sighing he made up his mind to go after all, figuring just one lunch wouldn't make much of a difference in the long run.

……………

Momo hit the end button on her cell phone and smiled happily, collapsing backwards onto her bed with a contented sigh. She had just called Rangiku, asking her if she was interested in accompanying them to lunch that day to which the ginger head had rapidly agreed. It hadn't taken long for Rangiku to ask Orihime to come who then called Rukia who agreed to attend as well. Rolling over onto her stomach Momo glanced up at Hitsugaya who was staring blankly at an open notebook, the pen in his hand immobile, his eyes cloudy and unfocused.

"Rangiku's coming!" she informed him, waiting for some kind of reaction and receiving none. Frowning she tried again. "Rangiku's coming and she's bringing Orihime and Rukia!" Still nothing. Determined to get his attention the girl slid off her bed and padded over to his, jumping onto the mattress, causing it to bounce up and down and shake her roommate from whatever daze he'd been in.

"What!?" he exclaimed, glancing at her confusedly.

"I said Rangiku's coming and she's bringing Rukia and Orihime. I wasn't getting any kind of reaction from you so I just wanted to make sure there was still brain activity present in your skull," Momo told him bluntly. Hitsugaya frowned and edged away from her.

"Idiot," he muttered before going back to his notebook and once again staring at it blankly. Momo scowled, quite fed up with being ignored. Shoving her face into his she met his gaze squarely and opened her mouth.

"Are you okay?" she asked. Hitsugaya scrambled backwards and instantly felt his back make connection with the wall behind him.

"I'm fine!" he snapped. Momo frowned and leaned against the wall, sitting herself stubbornly beside him.

"Are you sure? You've been kind of out of it ever since I got back," she said to him. He nodded his head.

"I just have a lot to do," he responded simply, glancing up and meeting her gaze with his own. There was a second where the two just stared at each other, brown orbs meeting green ones and Momo felt her heart suddenly skip a beat. Shyly she lifted her hand up and hesitated a moment before taking his shirt sleeve between her fingers and tugging on it gently.

"That's all?" she asked quietly. Toshiro nodded, his eyes fixed on where she was gripping his shirt.

"Yes," he replied.

"You promise?" It almost came out as a whisper and Momo wished she had been able to keep the obvious worry out of her voice. Once more his eyes rose up to meet hers before his lips suddenly melted into a rare, genuine smile.

"Stop worrying so much you idiot; you're going to make yourself sick," he murmured and Momo couldn't help but notice his word's unusual warmth. An unfamiliar feeling began to stir in her stomach and she felt a blush rise to her cheeks as she realized just how close they were sitting. Hitsugaya seemed to realize it at the same time for he suddenly cleared his throat and stood up, returning the notebook to his bedside table and avoiding her gaze entirely.

"So where are we going exactly?" he asked. Momo laughed nervously, wasting no time getting up and heading back to her side of the room.

"I-I'm not entirely sure. I think Hisagi was going to get some more people from the team together and then let me know," she answered. Hitsugaya nodded, not in the least bit surprised by the clear lack of organization and at this point was far too used to it to be exasperated.

"Since Rangiku is involved do you think we'll wind up, um, at a bar?" Momo asked nervously, unsure whether or not she wanted to hear his response. Hitsugaya snorted and shook his head, returning to his mattress and sitting down.

"Tomorrow's a school day and it's the middle of the afternoon. Even Matsumoto knows better than to drink under those circumstances…I hope," he replied, muttering the last two words under his breath. Momo breathed a sigh of relief, clearly having missed his last comment.

"Good. I never want to go near that stuff again!" she stated firmly. A small smile found it's way to Hitsugaya's lips and he shook his head, deciding that this time it would probably be best not to respond. The peaceful silence was broken moments later by the sound of Hitsugaya's cell phone going off and the boy reached over to pick it up, frowning at the unfamiliar number flashing across the screen.

"Hello?"

"TOSHIRO!!" The loud squeal on the other end made said boy flinch and hold the phone as far from his ear as he could manage. Momo raised her eyebrows, wondering just who in the world her roommate was talking to.

"Toshiro it's Kaori! You remember me right? As if my silver prince could ever forget who I was!" the girl gushed. Hinamori nearly burst out laughing at the expression on Hitsugaya's face though she was more than a little bit curious as to who in the world this girl was.

"How did you get this number?" Hitsugaya hissed, looking more than a little bit mortified.

"Your father gave it to me silly! Aren't you excited? Now we can talk all the time!" she squealed. Toshiro blinked, his mouth opening and closing several times giving him the appearance of a beached whale. Momo was nearly doubled over, her hand covering her mouth in order to stifle the laughter threatening to spill from her lips.

"Now's not a good time," he finally muttered, glaring daggers at Hinamori.

"Oh." There was a pause and Momo waited anxiously to hear where this would go next. "Well that's okay! I'll just come visit you!" Toshiro's eyes widened and Momo's laughter immediately stopped. Who ever this loony was planned now on visiting them!?

"No Kaori-wait..!" Toshiro spluttered but he was met with deaf ears.

"See you soon Toshiro sweetie! Kisses!" the girl said before the phone went dead. As though in slow motion Hitsugaya brought the phone away from his ear and stared at it as though it had poisoned him. Then, all of the sudden, he exploded.

"Where in the world does she get off calling me her silver prince!? And what in the world is she thinking coming here? How did she get 'come visit me' from 'now's not a good time' and why did my dad give her my number!?" he seethed, seeing red. Momo stared at him in astonishment, having never seen her roommate so obviously irritated. It was almost refreshing actually to know that the ice prince had emotion after all yet even so…

"I-I don't know…" she responded helpfully. All at once Hitsugaya lurched to his feet, still glaring reproachfully at his phone. Momo bit her lip, watching him curiously.

"Come on let's go," he said suddenly, turning and heading towards the door. Momo blinked.

"What?" she asked, now completely confused.

"I'm not going to stay here and wait for her to show up and unless you want to you might as well come along," he said to her.

"Um, alright," Hinamori responded, slowly getting off her own bed, grabbing her room key and following him. Momo gave the doorknob a firm shake to make sure it was locked and grinned not sure whether to be concerned or amused by his behavior. Giggling quietly she fell into step beside him opening her mouth and voicing her question.

"Does Kaori even know where you live?" she asked. Hitsugaya shrugged.

"It wouldn't surprise me. If Kazuo gave her my phone number who knows what else he told her," the boy said.

"Kazuo?" Hinamori asked, the name not ringing any bells.

"My father," Toshiro said shortly and left it at that. Momo bit her lip but was saved a response when her cell phone suddenly went off. Digging her hand into her pants pocket the girl fished the little device out and wasn't surprised to see Rangiku's name flashing across the screen.

"Hello," she said pleasantly.

"Hinamori! You heard about the get together right?" Rangiku asked. Hinamori could make out voices in the background and came to the conclusion that Rukia and Orihime were present as well even if they weren't actually conversing on the phone.

"Yes! Do you know where we're meeting?" she inquired. Rangiku paused.

"Last I heard we were going to Grey's around 11:30," she responded. "Tell Toshiro we're taking his car!" Momo grinned, knowing her roommate probably wouldn't be too keen on taking them up on that offer.

"Just a minute," Hinamori said before turning to Hitsugaya. "We're going to Grey's around 11:30 and Rangiku wants to take your car," she told him. Hitsugaya frowned.

"And she can't drive because…?" he asked pointedly. Momo shrugged.

"I'm not sure but the more time you waste standing here arguing with me the more likely your chances are of running into your one woman fan club," she answered, her smile growing wider. Hitsugaya stared at her a moment, surprised that she was actually teasing him for a change. Scowling the boy shoved his hand into his pockets and glared at the ground.

"Fine," he muttered. Momo relayed his response to Rangiku and was met with an excited cheer.

"Excellent! See you soon Hinamori!" Rangiku exclaimed.

"Uh-huh," Momo responded and with that the two hung up their phones. "Soo," she said, turning expectantly to her roommate. "What exactly is Grey's?" Hitsugaya shrugged, pulling his phone out in order to check the time. The tiny digital read 11:01 a.m.

"It's a pizza place about three miles east of here," he responded stoically, sliding the phone back into his pocket and starting off in the direction of the parking lot. "We usually go there after soccer games but I guess Hisagi's starting the tradition up early." Momo nodded, falling easily into step beside him.

"Aren't we leaving kind of early?" she asked after a pause.

"No," Toshiro answered shortly. Momo suppressed a giggle, deciding against saying that this Kaori girl obviously terrified him. The two walked the rest of the way to the parking lot in silence, Hinamori peering around at the various cars in the student lot and wondering which one was his.

They were about to step onto the asphalt when all of the sudden there was the sound of screeching tires and a small hot pink Volkswagen complete with stick on flowers roared around the corner and into the lot. It was hard to miss the pounding pop music blaring from the beetle's speakers and Hinamori outwardly winced, figuring this could only be the she-demon herself.

"Dammit!" Hitsugaya hissed and immediately ducked behind the nearest car, pulling Momo down with him.

"Is that her?" Hinamori asked, attempting to peer up through the windows at the red haired girl who had just exited the car.

"Shh, yes," Toshiro replied, ducking down farther behind the shelter of the vehicle. Momo followed suit, hearing the sound of clicking heels getting closer and closer. She felt Hitsugaya tense next to her and the girl prayed that for his sake Kaori wouldn't find them, not to mention it would be a bit awkward to explain why they were sitting crouched behind a random vehicle in Ryouta's parking lot doing seemingly nothing. They heard the girl giggle once before beginning to hum and the sound of footsteps slowly began to fade. The two waited for another minute or two before slowly straightening and peering through the transparent windows of the car to make sure the cost was clear. They could just make out Kaori's figure skipping gleefully towards the welcome center, her attention clearly elsewhere. Breathing a sigh of relief Hitsugaya pulled his car keys from his pocket and walked the rest of the way to his car.

"That was too close," he muttered. Momo laughed, hurrying after him and pausing outside his vehicle. He owned a baby blue Honda civic complete with a flashy looking dashboard that had a miniature dragon bobble head attached to it. Seeing Momo's eyebrows raising he shrugged his shoulders and unlocked the car.

"Birthday present from Matsumoto," he stated simply and all confusion vanished. Momo slid into the car and was immediately engulfed in the scent of mint and soft cologne. Her lips parted into a small smile and she took a deep breath, breathing in as much of the smell as she could. She would never admit this to anyone but the smell was definitely becoming one of her favorite aromas.

Hitsugaya started the ignition and immediately the sound of soft rock music began to emanate from the speakers. Glancing at the digital clock illuminated on the dashboard Momo read 11:13. The near run in with Kaori had wasted a couple minutes and they were now right on time as opposed to a few minutes early. Hinamori couldn't help but think this was probably all for the better anyway as Rangiku didn't strike her as the type of person who would be ready early, even if Rukia and Orihime were with her. If anything they might just prove to slow her down.

Leaning back into the seat Momo glanced at Hitsugaya out of the corner of her eye and for some reason she felt the familiar heat slowly begin to creep into her cheeks again. Frowning she dropped her gaze, glaring at her hands folded neatly in her lap. What in the world was wrong with her lately?

She let her mind wander back to their earlier conversation and she couldn't help but wonder why her roommate had referred to his father by the man's first name. It was definitely unusual and he had said it so coldly, further backing up the girl's suspicions that Toshiro and his father weren't close. She opened her mouth wanting to ask about it but not wanting to touch on places she wasn't meant to.

"What?" Momo blinked and glanced over at the boy, fixing him with a confused look.

"What what?" she asked. Toshiro snorted.

"You're opening and closing your mouth like a dying fish. If you want to say something go ahead and say it," he said to her bluntly. Momo stared at him before a small smile crept across her features and she turned away again.

"It's nothing," she replied quietly.

"Then stop gaping like that. Geez you look like an idiot," he commented, still not taking his eyes from the road.

"What!? I'm not gaping!" Momo protested, whipping around to glare at him. Hitsugaya shrugged, a slight smirk playing across his lips though he didn't say anything. Momo huffed and crossed her arms over her chest, slumping farther into her seat and glaring at the dashboard.

"You know sulking like a little kid isn't going to help," the boy commented casually, clearly trying to push her buttons further.

"Stop being so mean Shiro!" Momo protested, swiveling her head to glare at him. Hitsugaya's smirk immediately vanished and it was his turn to glare at her.

"Don't call me Shiro," he told her, clearly not any fonder of his new nickname now than he had been earlier.

"I wouldn't have to if you weren't such a jerk all the time. If you're not careful I might let it slip in front of everybody," Momo retorted with a grin, jumping on his clear annoyance with her comment and using it to her advantage.

"I don't think you're in any place to blackmail me!" he shot back and Hinamori immediately quieted as a shock of fear ripped through her. Biting her lip she turned away and slouched into the seat again, pulling her legs up onto the chair and wrapping her arms around them.

A wave of guilt coursed through Hitsugaya's veins as the girl instantly closed herself off from him, not making any response to his comment. She had just been teasing him, he shouldn't have said something like that.

"Look Hinamori I…" he began but stopped as her phone suddenly went off, cutting his attempted apology short. The girl rapidly flipped the device open and brought it to her ear.

"Rangiku? Yeah we're almost there! Of course Hitsugaya's with me, he's driving remember? Okay see you soon," she said before hanging up the phone and putting it in her pocket. Any further chance for an apology was lost as they pulled onto Rangiku's street only to see the three girls walking towards them. Hinamori cocked an eyebrow while Hitsugaya just shook his head, used to random surprises like this one.

Rangiku and Orihime waved wildly at them as they made their way over while Rukia trailed along behind them, shaking her head in exasperation. Instead of opening the back door Matsumoto pranced around the car and stopped outside beside Hitsugaya, opening the door before he thought to lock it and immediately jumped on him, finding a way to embrace the boy despite the awkward angle brought about by the car.

"I'm so happy you drove! You never drive!" she exclaimed. "Oh and it's good to see you too!" Toshiro rolled his eyes and attempted to push the ginger haired girl off him.

"I get it, now get off me Matsumoto," he grumbled, finally succeeding in dislodging himself from her vice grip. Rangiku laughed and slid out of the drivers seat before taking her place in the back beside Rukia who had been squished in the middle.

"Onward into battle!" Orihime suddenly yelled from the back, pointing her finger forward and accidentally jabbing Toshiro in the back of the head.

"Eek! Oh I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to do that? Are you okay? Can you still drive? Ah! Rangiku what if I gave him a concussion! Oh my gosh--"

"I'm fine!" Toshiro snapped through gritted teeth and Momo suddenly realized just why it was that her roommate never wanted to drive. Laughing she grinned at Rangiku who smiled and winked back at her.

The rowdy car finally pulled into the parking lot about two minutes after the designated meeting time and Hitsugaya wasted no time getting out of the car and waiting impatiently for his passengers to do the same. The girls piled out and shut the doors, heading towards the restaurant as Toshiro locked his car. The boy followed after them, massaging his temples wearily.

"Are you okay?" Momo asked knowingly, a sympathetic smile on her face. Hitsugaya never got a chance to answer for at that moment they met up with the rest of the group, Hisagi and Renji waving them over enthusiastically.

"They're unusually early," Momo heard Rukia comment under her breath and she couldn't help but agree with her. She had never pegged Ikkaku, Ichigo, Renji, and the others as the type to arrive early on purpose. The five squeezed into the booth alongside them and Momo found herself squished between Rukia and Hitsugaya. Their group consisted of the five of them plus Ichigo, Renji, Ikkaku, Yumichika, Hisagi, Kira, and Chad who was sitting quietly on the opposite end of the booth. He smiled and gave Momo a slight wave which she returned.

"Let's eat!" Ikkaku exclaimed, slamming his fist against the table.

"We have to order first you moron," Ichigo responded dryly and Ikkaku immediately scowled, opening his mouth to retort though was cut off by Hisagi.

"Shut up you two; the waiter's coming now," he said to them. Sure enough a rather flustered looking young man with tousled brown hair wearing a shirt that said "Grey's" and a white hat was making his way towards them, a pad of paper in his hand and a rather weary expression on his face.

"Hello. What can I get for you today?" he asked, looking around at them all expectantly. The group went around and ordered beverages before decided on three large pizzas, one cheese, one veggie, and one meat lover. Momo blanched at the thought of eating so much food before realizing who she was sitting with and any anxiety she might have had vanished instantly. The waiter took their orders down before hurrying back in the direction of the kitchen and vanishing from sight.

A bell jingled somewhere within the restaurant announcing the arrival of a new batch of hungry customers. Momo wouldn't have thought much of it if a familiar shock of blue hair hadn't suddenly appeared in the corner of her eye and she turned slowly, a feeling of dread beginning to curdle in her gut. Sure enough it was without a doubt Grimmjow, the guy from Mundo who had gotten in a fight with Kira about a week back. He wasn't alone however as she recognized Ulquiorra from that day as well and six others, all of whom looked rather intimidating.

"Damn it, what are they doing here?" Momo glanced back at her friends and wasn't surprised to see that they too had noticed the new arrivals and none of them looked any happier for it. Her eyes immediately went to Kira who was shrinking back in his chair, just the sight of Grimmjow already sending a cold sweat sweeping through his body.

"You think they'll notice us?" Renji asked. Matsumoto snorted.

"Are you kidding? Ikkaku's head is so bright I'm surprised they haven't seen us already," she responded, nudging the baldy with her elbow as she did so. Ikkaku scowled at her, his eyes flashing angrily.

"What did you say?" he asked in what was clearly supposed to be a threatening tone yet it was that very threatening tone that attracted the attention of the new arrivals. Momo glanced over and was unsettled to see a feral sneer creep over Grimmjow's features as his eyes met hers and he whispered something to the dark skinned man standing beside him before making his way over, the others close behind.

"Well look who it is," he said snidely, shoving his hands into his pockets. Before any of them could make a retort however Orihime stood up, an excited smile on her face as she suddenly exclaimed:

"It's been way too long since I've seen you! How are you doing? I missed you so much, Ulquiorra!"

……………………

**So there ya go folks! An update! I figured I was about due for one so there ya go! Hopefully I'll have the next chapter out soon. Once again the whole scene with the Espada was supposed to take place in this chapter and once again I write too much so I had to leave it at that for now. Thanks so much for all of your amazing support! **

**~Phoenix**


	17. Safe

**A/N: Hey everybody! So Pan Marlon drew an AWESOME picture from my story where Hinamori attempted to hit Ikkaku w/ the soccer ball during try outs. I absolutely love it and you should all check it out! Thanks so much!!! For some reason this site doesn't let me post links in chapters so check out the link in my profile!! Thanks so much Pan Marlon!!! **

……………

An astonished silence fell over the group as more than one pair of confused eyes turned to stare at Orihime who was still grinning obliviously at Ulquiorra. Grimmjow collected himself first and he raised an eyebrow, glaring at the dark haired boy.

"Ulquiorra, what the hell is this?" he asked, gesturing dismissively in Orihime's direction. There was a pause as everyone clearly was wondering the same thing and therefore were content to wait for an explanation. The expression on the orange haired girl's face fell a little as she finally seemed to notice the tension in the air and came to the realization that she was the cause of it. She giggled nervously, clearly unsure what else to do.

"We knew each other a long time ago. That's all there is to it," Ulquiorra responded flatly, his face betraying no emotion whatsoever, his eyes remaining cold and empty. Orihime blinked, the smile still on her face though it was weak and her eyes reflected the confusion she clearly felt.

"I left remember? Mom and Dad died and me and Sora left to come live here so we could be closer to our grandparents… I didn't know that you lived here now too," she said to him, her voice shaking a bit. Before Ulquiorra could respond another member of the group spoke up. He was tall and wiry with long black hair falling past his shoulders, cold eyes and a rather dangerous looking sneer.

"As enlightening as this conversation is our stomachs aren't going to feed themselves. You can reminisce with these pathetic fucks as much as you want Ulquiorra but I'm getting myself some damn food," he said snidely before crossing his arms pointedly over his chest. There was a sudden crash as Ikkaku flew to his feet, knocking into the table and tipping over two cups of water in the process.

"What did you just call us?" he hissed, his hands clenching into fists. The long haired boy's sneer only widened and he took a step forward, his eyes flashing dangerously.

"Stupid and deaf, what an unfortunate combination," he jeered, obviously amused by the cue ball's obvious agitation.

"That's it!" Ikkaku roared, lunging forward across the laps of several of his friends in an attempt to get his fingers around the other boy's throat. Momo instinctively reached out to stop him, leaping to her feet and getting her arms around her friend's waist in an attempt to pull him back and away from the Mundo group. She wasn't alone as Renji had lurched to his feet as well and was now being restrained by Chad, and a very obvious vein was pulsing in Ichigo's forehead.

"You ugly bastards better get out of here now before I decide to rip you a new one!" Ikkaku hissed, straining against the grip Hinamori had on him.

"That's cute-"

"Nnoitra, enough." The boy scowled and turned to glare at the girl behind him. She was tall with tanned skin that clashed with long, messy blonde hair and piercing green eyes. A revealing white tank top left little to the imagination and a jean mini skirt barely reached past her upper thighs.

"Did I hear anyone ask your opinion Halibel?" he growled, his eyes narrowing dangerously.

"I don't need your permission to give it," she responded, as cool and calm as ever. Nnoitra's scowl deepened and he opened his mouth to say something though closed it again upon hearing the snicker that escaped Ikkaku's mouth.

"That bitch has you pretty whipped ass wipe," he commented, eyes glinting in amusement. Hinamori winced and waited for the eruption that was bound to follow this comment. Nnoitra's eyes flashed and he opened his mouth to retort though was cut short as the waiter chose that moment to show up, two steaming hot pizza's in his hands. He raised his eyebrows at the spectacle in front of him and swallowed awkwardly, his eyes roving from one group to the other.

"I won't forget this," Nnoitra hissed before turning on his heel and stalking off, the others behind him. Orihime made a move as if to follow them before seeming to think better of it and sitting down sadly. The waiter cleared his throat and set the pizzas down before muttering that he would be right back with the other and quickly walked away.

"Well that was exciting," Hisagi muttered, glaring over to where the Mundo group had sat down on the opposite side of the restaurant.

"Cocky bastards," Ikkaku muttered, finally wrenching himself from Momo's grasp and finding his seat. Matsumoto frowned.

"Come on forget about them. Let's just have fun," she said, her usual smile returning to her lips. Everyone muttered their assent, some more grudgingly than others, before delving into the pizza.

……………

Lunch drew to a close shortly afterwards, the mood slightly dampened by the run in with Nnoitra, Grimmjaw, Ulquiorra, and the others. Orihime had been smiling and happy as usual yet there was something a little off about her attitude, like it wasn't completely genuine. Ikkaku too was in a foul mood the rest of the time while Ichigo and Renji weren't much better. So much for a happy, carefree, kick off the season lunch Momo thought to herself.

They heard the familiar sound of the store's bell ringing for what had to the thousandth time since they'd gotten there. Apparently this place got pretty popular around lunch time which was only to be expected. Momo leaned back into the booth and placed a hand over her stomach, feeling as though she had gained twenty pounds in the last hour. Renji laughed and shot her a grin.

"Come on Hinamori you only had two slices. You can't seriously be that full already," he commented. The girl shot a face at him but didn't raise to take his bait. She wasn't sure her stomach could handle anything else being put into it.

"Um, Matsumoto? Are you alright?" Momo blinked and glanced over at her friend upon hearing Kira's confusion and was surprised to see that her friend's eyes were wide and she had paled considerably, her hands suddenly clenched into fists on the tabletop and her teeth digging into her lower lip. She seemed to be staring at something and Momo frowned, turning to follow her friends gaze directly to…

"Ichimaru," she murmured. Gin Ichimaru was indeed standing across the restaurant from them and talking to the group from Mundo. It seemed like a pleasant conversation considering the expression on his face but there was still something a little off about the whole deal. Momo glanced over at Hitsugaya and was surprised to see his eyes fixed on Matsumoto, his frame nearly as tense as her own. Looking around at everyone else in the group she wasn't surprised to see Renji, Ikkaku, Kira, Chad, Yumichika, and Rukia looking every bit as confused as she did yet Hisagi appeared just as put out as the other two.

Glancing at the Mundo group Momo saw Nnoitra jerk his head in their direction, his usual sneer playing across his lips, his eyes narrowed coldly. Gin followed the gesture and swiveled around so he was facing them, his eyebrows raising in a sure sign of amusement.

"Well look who we have here," he said, his grin widening as he made his way over to them, leaving the others behind. His grin only grew as none of them responded, clearly not sure how to assess the current situation. "Sorry ta interrupt your little lunch gathering-"

"Gin." The man stopped talking as he looked down to see who had spoken, his grin momentarily faltering when he saw Rangiku staring up at him. There was a brief pause in which Momo wondered what in the world was going to happen next before Ichimaru rapidly collected himself, putting his usual sneer back in place so rapidly it was as if it had never vanished at all.

"Ran…good to see ya doin well," he said to her.

"Gin what are you doing here?" Matsumoto asked, clearly not buying his friendly act. Ichimaru feigned hurt.

"Ya mean none of my students have told ya about my new position?" he inquired. Rangiku immediately turned to glare at Hisagi who lowered his gaze guiltily before rounding on Hitsugaya who remained as passive as ever.

"No, they didn't," she replied shortly.

"I'm student teachin," he replied simply with a mild shrug. Rangiku snorted and Momo was surprised to see a genuine sneer slide across her face.

"So you finally have a real job?" she asked snidely. Ichimaru's grin widened.

"Of course. I always told ya I could do it didn't I?" he asked. Matsumoto frowned.

"I never said I didn't believe you," she replied quietly. The man shrugged and slid his hands into his pockets.

"Well then maybe ya could swing by a couple times eh? Saying hi to an…old friend never hurt did it?" he asked of her. Rangiku sighed and slumped back into the booth.

"I don't know," she responded. Staring up at Ichimaru again Momo was surprised to see his expression falter for a second time yet it was so brief she thought she may have imagined it.

"Well I should be leaving," he said merrily, backing up a few paces before turning to Kira. "Don't forget about tomorrow Izuru." The blonde rapidly shook his head, clearly surprised at being addressed after that awkward conversation.

"I-I won't!" he replied rapidly. Ichimaru grinned.

"Well then bye bye everyone… See you, Rangiku," he murmured before turning and vanishing from the restaurant. The second he was gone from their view everyone immediately turned to Matsumoto who was looking more flustered than Momo had ever seen her.

"Now what in the world was that all about?" Yumichika asked, fixing the girl with a piercing stare.

"Uh, what are you doing with Ichimaru tomorrow Kira? That sounded a little shifty," Hisagi asked, and Momo couldn't help but notice how rapidly he had switched the topic, whether purposeful or not. The blonde coughed and stared at the table, his cheeks reddening slightly.

"H-he's my English tutor," he muttered quietly.

"What?" Renji asked, leanings towards him as though doing so would allow him to hear better.

"He's my English tutor!" Kira snapped, glaring at Renji. "I never do well in that class for some reason so I asked Ichimaru to tutor me and he said he would."

"Oh," Renji replied, sitting back in his chair. "You don't have to get so defensive about it." Kira shrugged, still appearing rather flustered but didn't respond. An awkward silence followed this comment as no one could really think of anything to say, all of them still rather confused by the afternoon's earlier events.

The waiter brought them their bill and they took a couple of minutes to divide it before returning it to the man and telling him to keep the change and proceeding to get up and gather their things.

Hinamori trailed silently after Hitsugaya, occasionally stealing glances at Orihime and Rangiku who were walking silently behind her. She was worried about both of them, knowing that their run ins today had affected them more than they were letting on. Everyone waved their farewells and Rukia paused long enough to tell Hitsugaya she would be heading home with Ichigo and Renji and therefore didn't need a ride home.

The drive back was silent as well and Momo couldn't help but notice that even Hitsugaya seemed rather worried even though he hadn't said anything. They arrived at Matsumoto's house shortly thereafter and she got out of the car, shooting the two of them a smile and giving them a short wave. Orihime did the same and just like that the two girls disappeared inside the building.

"Do you think they'll be okay?" Momo asked quietly. Hitsugaya nodded.

"They'll be fine," he replied, putting the car into reverse and backing out of the driveway. "They'll pull out of it soon enough."

"This has happened before?" the girl inquired. Hitsugaya shrugged.

"Not especially but those two aren't the type to stay down for long. Stop worrying so much," he said to her. Momo nodded, leaning back into the seat and staring out the window. The sky had grown overcast in the time they'd spent in the restaurant and the first drops of rain had begun to fall. She remembered Renji mentioning how it was going to thunderstorm and it appeared to finally be doing so which only added to the depressing mood hovering irritatingly over her shoulders.

"Lunch didn't go so well did it?" she asked quietly, still staring out the window. She heard Hitsugaya snort beside her.

"Those guys from Mundo just like to stir up trouble and it doesn't help that Ikkaku and the others fall so easily for their bait," he responded. Momo nodded.

"Yeah…" she replied shortly, blinking at her reflection in the window. Hitsugaya pulled his car into the parking lot and Hinamori noticed him glancing around as he turned the car off, clearly looking for something.

"Is Kaori still here?" Momo inquired knowingly and Hitsugaya's cheeks flushed the lightest hint of pink.

"I don't see her car," he muttered before exiting the vehicle and locking the doors behind him.

"Well we were gone for awhile," the girl responded. Hitsugaya shrugged and began to walk back in the direction of the dorm room. Momo shook her head and fell into step alongside him, trying to hide the small grin playing across her lips. While she might not like Kaori much herself, she definitely made teasing Hitsugaya a lot easier…

………………

CRASH! Momo's eyes flew open and she sat bolt upright in bed, her eyes wide, body trembling. The thunderstorm had increased in volume and ferocity ten fold since she had crawled into bed that night, the wind screaming through the night sky, the thunder sounding like war drums and the lightening ripping long jagged gashes across the sky. Biting her lip she shrank back into her pillow, wincing as another crash of thunder shook the room. Closing her eyes she placed her hands over her ears, hoping to drown out the sound that way. If she couldn't see it and she couldn't hear it then it couldn't be there.

For some reason she had been afraid of thunderstorms since she was little and even to this day it was impossible for her to sleep while they raged around her. She wasn't a little girl anymore, she couldn't crawl into her parents bed and snuggle up with them like she used to. After all the only person here was…

Momo carefully opened her eyes and glanced over to where Hitsugaya was sleeping soundly through the chaos raging outside their window, his breaths calm and steady, face relaxed and peaceful. Clearly the storm had no effect on him whatsoever. Another crack of lightening illuminated the room sending tears of panic to Hinamori's eyes as she slammed her hands over her ears in preparation for the thunder that was bound to follow. She didn't have to wait long as another rumble reverberated around the room, causing an actual whimper to escape the girl's lips.

Hinamori bit down on her lip as hard as she could, hoping the physical pain would distract her from the blatant fear coursing through her veins. For Pete's sake she wasn't a kid anymore! She shouldn't be so afraid of something as silly and childish as a simple storm. Hitsugaya had told her to grow a backbone so what in the world was she doing cowering in fear on her bed because of something that couldn't harm her anyway? Another crash of thunder drove that defiant thought from her mind and she whimpered again, an actual tear sliding down her face as she attempted to shrink back further away from the window.

"Go away," she whispered. "Please please please go away!"

"Hinamori…?" Momo froze like a deer caught in headlights, before her eyes slowly rose up to meet her roommate's.

"H-Hitsugaya…" she choked, her voice barely audible over the storm.

"What's wrong?" he asked and Hinamori was astonished to hear the raw concern in his tone.

"N-nothing's wrong," she replied, doing her best to give him a watery smile. The thunder chose that moment to strike again and she winced, visibly flinching and cowering away from the window. Hitsugaya looked from her to the window and back again before a knowing expression came over his face.

"You're afraid of the thunderstorm aren't you?" he asked softly. Momo rapidly shook her head from side to side and wiped a tear from her cheek.

"Of course not! What makes you think that?" she asked, doing her best to keep her voice from shaking and failing miserably. Another crash of thunder had her arms wrapped around herself, her eyes wide and staring, limbs visibly shaking. Hitsugaya snorted.

"You're not doing a very good job of hiding it," he said to her though his tone wasn't harsh. If anything it sounded almost…comforting?

"I-it's silly I know…and childish," Momo murmured, burying her face in her knees and covering her ears with her hands as the thunder rumbled threatening overhead.

"Yeah," Hitsugaya responded. "But there's nothing wrong with that." Hinamori slowly brought her head up from her knees and stared at him, hardly daring to hope she had heard him correctly. Hitsugaya stared back at her, the strangest feeling welling up in his stomach. She looked so frightened, so absolutely terrified and for some reason he wanted to reach out and help her, to wipe that expression of fear from her face and keep it from coming back. It was completely against everything in his nature to feel that way and yet there was just something about his roommate that he couldn't ignore. He didn't like to see her cry, hell he hated it. If there was something, anything he could do to help her there was no way he would hesitate.

"Come here bed-wetter," he muttered. Momo's eyes widened and her mouth opened and closed several times before she managed to splutter:

"Wh-what?"

"Just…come here," Hitsugaya muttered, his cheeks suddenly feeling very hot indeed. Another crash of thunder made up her mind for her and before Hitsugaya knew what had happened she had scrambled from her bed to his and was sitting against the head board beside him. A flash of lightening lit up the room and Hinamori did the only thing that felt natural. She reached out for him…and he didn't pull away. Taking that as an okay the girl buried her face in his chest, clenching his shirt in her fists tight enough to wrinkle the material. Hitsugaya hesitated, his hands poised over her form for a brief moment before he allowed them to wrap around her, pulling her closer to him and acting as a barrier between the terrified girl and the storm. He could feel her trembling which only caused him to hold her tighter, whispering comfortingly into her ears.

"Shh its okay, just calm down," he murmured. "I won't let anything happen to you. You're fine." He couldn't explain why this felt so right to him, it just did. Hinamori had the strange ability to awaken mysterious and unfamiliar though not unpleasant feelings inside of him, ones he had never quite experienced before. He had barely known her that long yet he had the unwavering urge to protect her from whatever fears or threats came her way. To keep her away from anything that would attempt to harm her, to keep her safe.

The two laid like that for awhile, Hinamori's head resting on his chest, his arms wrapped securely around her like a comforting blanket. Before the boy knew it she had fallen asleep on him and he found he had no desire to move her. A slight smile crept onto his lips and he closed his eyes, letting his head sink into his pillow.

"Good night bed-wetter," he murmured before sleep enveloped his senses and he drifted off into the world of dreams.

……………

**I AM SO SORRY!!! I know that was incredibly late and I really really want to apologize for it. I added that fluff in there which will hopefully stop you guys from hating me too much. In any case thanks for sticking with me despite my delayed updating and don't forget to check out Pan Marlon's awesome fan art!!!! **

**~Phoenix**


	18. Delivery

**A/N: Hey everybody. So this past chapter I hit the 400+ review mark and I really wanted to find a way to show my appreciation for you, my reviewers. So I drew this picture for all of you as my way of saying thank you for all of your amazing reviews. Thank you guys so much and I hope you continue to support Frozen Secret! The link URL is in my profile! Thank you!!**

……………

A slight beeping in the back of Momo's mind clued her in to the fact that it her alarm was going off and therefore it was time to get her butt out of bed and into her school uniform. Unfortunately any motivation she had to actually do so had long since kicked the bucket. Besides she felt so warm and comfortable with the slight scent of mint tickling her senses and the mattress lightly raising and falling beneath her… Momo's eyes shot open and she realized at the last second that it might not be the best idea to move as she was currently on top of a peacefully sleeping Toshiro Hitsugaya.

The events of last night rapidly fast forwarded through her mind and she felt a blush raise to her cheeks as she remembered the way his arms had felt around her and the way his breath had tickled her ear as he'd whispered comfortingly into it. Come to think of it his arms still were around her and it was clear that neither of them had moved from their original positions all night. Momo sighed as her alarm clock automatically turned itself to snooze and quieted, leaving the room in silence. Closing her eyes, the girl once again rested her head against his chest, her body immediately relaxing as she did so. She felt him stir quietly below her, his beautiful turquoise eyes slowly opening and closing before they focused on her and widened slightly.

"Morning," she mumbled, making no move to get off him.

"M-morning," he responded, glancing over to his bedside table and checking the time before his eyes roved back to Momo and a small blush settled over his cheeks. He bit his lip, unable to decide whether he wanted to shove her off or not… It wasn't that he minded her being there, it was just that, with circumstances being what they were, this might not be the best position for the two to be in.

"Hey," he muttered, shaking her lightly. "I have to get up." The girl's lips folded into a small pout and she merely held onto him tighter.

"But you're so comfortable Shiro," she mumbled into his shirt. Hitsugaya's eyes widened, his blush from before nothing compared to what it was now. It was obvious she no longer felt apprehensive about being around him and he couldn't decide if this was a good thing or not. Making up his mind the boy sat up, letting her roll of him and tumble ungracefully onto the rumpled comforter.

"What was that for?" she protested, rubbing the sleep out of her eyes.

"Don't call me Shiro," was her only response as the boy slid off his mattress and made his way over to the chest of drawers. Momo sighed, brushing a strand of hair out of her eyes as she too slipped off the bed, hoping this day wouldn't start off too awkwardly.

……………

The first three class periods passed by in a haze for Toshiro as his mind was, for once in his life, not focused on his school work. He couldn't for the life of him stop thinking about his roommate and what had happened during the thunderstorm the night before. He couldn't believe he had hugged her. He couldn't remember hugging anybody ever except for his grandma before she passed away and maybe his mother before… But it wouldn't do to think about things like that, especially when he didn't remember them clearly.

Shaking his head he attempted to wipe the fog from his mind, wanting to look at least somewhat attentive upon walking into his history classroom. Sliding into his desk he dropped his backpack on the floor before pulling out his materials, fully intending to copy down the notes Ukitake had written out for them on the black board.

"Did you hear that storm last night man?"

"Yeah, it was intense!"

Toshiro frowned, attempting to tune out the voices of his fellow classmates still milling into the room. It was true that the storm had definitely made its mark on Ryouta as several smaller branches had been blown off the trees while clumps of leaves were scattered everywhere, but it wasn't something to make a big deal out of. Almost immediately he resisted the urge to scoff at himself for thinking that way as when Hinamori had made a big deal out of the storm the night before he hadn't been complaining. For some reason it wasn't nearly as annoying when it was her as opposed to his classmates.

He glanced over and saw that she had already slid into her usual desk next to his, her hand scribbling notes furiously into her red notebook, eyes trained forward in an obvious attempt to avoid his gaze. He shook his head and turned back to his notes, wondering if what he had done last night had really bothered her that much. Maybe he shouldn't have hugged her after all, it wasn't like he'd known her that long. It wasn't completely out of the question for her to think he had started making the moves on her or something ridiculous like that. On the other hand she had hugged him first right? She was the one who had fallen asleep on his bed, not the other way around! If anything it was entirely her fault and he didn't have anything to worry about!

Hitsugaya scowled, resisting the urge to slam his head against the desk. What in the world was he thinking? This was absolutely absurd. When had he ever thought, much less cared, about things as trivial as this? Who cared what Hinamori thought about him? Who cared what had happened the night before? If anybody did it most definitely was not him.

"Toshiro…Toshiro!" The boy blinked and glanced up to see Ukitake staring at him with one eyebrow raised, his expression clearly one of extreme bafflement.

"Huh?" he asked, his face heating up at all the amazed stares clearly directed his way.

"I was wondering if you could perhaps answer question 3A for us out of the textbook. I'm sorry, I was unaware my notes were so enthralling," Ukitake commented, a small smile playing across his lips. Hitsugaya shook his head, gritting his teeth in embarrassment. He couldn't believe he'd gotten caught spacing out like that!

"Sorry," he muttered before flipping his textbook open to the appropriate page and scanning his eyes over the question he was supposed to be answering.

Momo stared at him, wondering what in the world was going through her roommate's head. It was unusual for Hitsugaya to space out like that, much less in class after he had been called on twice to answer a question. Biting her lip she listened to him give the answer perfectly anyway, though she could tell just by the way he spoke that he was distracted. Glancing back down at her paper she wondered if maybe his obvious detachment was caused by something she had done the night before. He certainly hadn't had the most ideal reaction that morning after they had both woken up as he had literally dumped her off him. What if he was mad at her?

"Pardon the interruption Mr. Ukitake, but is Toshiro Hitsugaya in this class?" Momo glanced towards the door to see one of the school's secretaries standing there, peering into the classroom curiously. Ukitake smiled and nodded in Toshiro's direction.

"Indeed he is. Can he help you with something?" he asked. The secretary returned the smile shyly, clearly affected by Ukitake's obvious charm and good looks even if was unaware of it.

"Ah yes, his father is here to see him," she responded. Momo's heart immediately dropped into her stomach and her gaze swept to where Hitsugaya was sitting. He had stiffened upon hearing the woman's request and his face was suddenly a stone wall, wearing expression he always put on when he didn't want anyone to know what he was thinking. Mutely he stood and headed towards the door, not bothering to glance behind him as he exited into the hallway, leaving a buzzing classroom behind him. The secretary smiled again before following him out and closing the door behind her. Glancing back up at her teacher Momo was surprised to see a plain look of concern on his face though it disappeared after a brief moment and he turned back to the class, clapping his hands together.

"Alright I want you all to turn to page 42 of your textbook and answer the questions listed there. Make sure you do them well because they will be due at the end of class. I'm stepping out for a moment but will return shortly," he said to them, smiling around the room before he too vanished out the door. Hinamori stared after him, ignoring the grumbling of her classmates as they pulled their notebooks out and pressed their noses to the textbook pages. Something was going on and she had the distinct feeling that whatever it was, it probably was not anything good. Turning back to her textbook she bit her lip, staring at the questions she was supposed to be answering before glancing back at the door. Taking a deep breath she made up her mind and quietly slid from her seat before tiptoeing towards the door and sliding out of it, determined to find out just what in the world was going on.

……………

Toshiro glared up at the man before him, unable to believe that he had been pulled out of class for something as stupid as this.

"I told you my reason already, don't make me repeat myself," the boy murmured, his eyes narrowed dangerously. Kazuo scowled, his face purpling in an attempt to hold back his obvious rage. As soon as Toshiro had arrived in the office, the man had immediately asked to speak with his son outside and that is exactly what they'd done. Now they were standing beside the parking lot and appearing to any passersby to be having a pleasant conversation. Unfortunately it was anything but.

"She specifically told you she was coming over yesterday. Why in the world weren't you there to meet her!?" Kazuo hissed, doing his best to keep control over his voice.

"I had other plans," Hitsugaya responded simply, refusing to lose his temper as well. The older man frowned.

"You had plans? You expect me to believe that a boy who spends as much time as you do cooped up in his room studying actually had plans!?" he exclaimed.

"Yes," Toshiro responded shortly.

"Lies!" Kazuo bellowed. Hitsugaya sighed and shoved his hands into his pockets.

"You can believe what you want but the fact of the matter is that's the truth. Now I'm going back to class before I waste anymore time here with you," he said to him, turning and beginning to walk away. Kazuo's eyes flashed and several veins popped in his forehead.

"You think you can take that kind of tone with your father?" he raged. Toshiro rounded on him, his eyes two turquoise pools of ice.

"You're not my father," he hissed. Kazuo let out a bellow of rage and raised his hand into the air before bringing it down towards the boy's face.

……………

Momo walked along the deserted hallway, wondering where in the world Hitsugaya could have disappeared to. She had stealthily crept past the main office while peering inside to see if he was there but had met with no luck. Now she was left to wandering the halls like a disoriented zombie. Sighing the girl mentally smacked herself, wishing that for once in her life she could have sat and done as she was told instead of acting on pure instinct. It would certainly save her from getting into little fixes such as the one she was in now. What if Ukitake had already returned to the classroom and she was found missing? She was just about to give up and head back to the classroom when a shock of white hair caught her eye and she glanced towards the transparent glass door to her right leading out into the parking lot.

Toshiro was there talking to a man she assumed could only be his father despite the fact they looked nothing alike. He was rather tall with a thin, rat like face and greasy brown hair plastered to the top of his skull. His eyes were a dark muddy brown and his nose was long and crooked looking. His only redeeming feature was the fact that, despite his skinny frame, ropy muscles lined his arms and legs, proving this man wasn't a complete slob.

Taking a step closer she tried to read their lips as they talked though it was impossible to truly distinguish what they were saying. All at once Toshiro turned and began walking back towards the door causing Momo to squeak and glance around rapidly for any place in which to hide herself before he walked in and saw her. She needn't have worried however, for barely two seconds after he began walking, Hitsugaya paused again and turned back to his father to say something to him. Momo watched, horrorstruck as rage flashed across the man's face and he raised his hand to strike the boy before him.

Gasping Hinamori darted forward, not sure what she intended to do so long as it stopped that man from harming Hitsugaya. Yet despite her good intentions, it was obvious she wouldn't make it in time. The scene played itself out in slow motion as Kazuo's hand came down towards the boy before him with the full intent to do harm. Then, quick as a flash, Toshiro stepped back, his expression never wavering as he caught the man's wrist before it connected with his face, preventing the blow from happening. The two stood glaring at each other for a moment before the elder jerked his arm free and stormed off without a backwards glance.

Momo realized at the last second that as soon as her roommate turned around she would be completely in his line of sight unless she did something fast. Glancing rapidly from left to right she saw a brown door labeled 'Janitor' across the top and immediately reached for it, diving in and slamming it shut a split second before Hitsugaya stepped back into the hallway. It was pitch black inside and Momo squeezed her eyes shut, praying her roommate would walk quickly so she could get out of there.

"Ah Hitsugaya. How did it go?" The girl cringed as she heard Ukitake's voice outside, slightly muffled due to the large wooden door between himself and her. Of all the times for him to show up, it just had to be now… There was a pause and Momo pressed her ear against the door, wondering how in the world Toshiro was planning on responding to that question.

"It was fine. He just wanted to talk," was the response. Another silence followed this comment and Momo resisted the strong urge to sneeze due to all the built up dust residing in this particular closet.

"…Toshiro," Ukitake began and there was something in his voice that made Momo pause. He sounded concerned, obviously, yet there was something else there that made the girl wonder just how much the man knew about what was going on.

"Really, it's fine," Toshiro responded shortly and Momo could distinctly picture him attempting to brush past their history teacher. Right at that moment Hinamori felt something brush across her face that felt distinctly like a spider web and she swallowed a yelp, jumping backwards and crashing into whatever was placed behind her. There was a deafening clatter as several things toppled over, one of them whacking her painfully in the arm on its way down. Momo felt her heart fall as the voices outside ceased and the door she was hiding behind was thrown open, revealing a very confused looking Ukitake and Hitsugaya. Momo blinked at them before smiling shakily and slowly bending down to pick up the brooms that had fallen to the ground.

"H-Hinamori? What are you doing in there?" Ukitake asked, clearly wondering whether to be amused or concerned. Momo opened and closed her mouth several times, trying to think of an excuse that could possibly explain the situation she currently found herself in. She supposed the truth was always an option, but she didn't want Hitsugaya to know she had followed him.

"I was…um… trying to find the b-bathroom because the one by your classroom was full… And for some reason I thought this might be it so I walked in and quickly realized it wasn't… Then I was about to head back out when I heard someone walk in the front door and I didn't want anyone to see me randomly walking out of the janitor's closet because th-that might look kind of weird so I stayed in here, planning to walk out when they passed by and then you guys started talking…" she trailed off, watching as Ukitake's eyebrows disappeared further and further into his hairline while Hitsugaya wasn't betraying any kind of emotion at all.

"You thought the janitor's closet was the bathroom?" Ukitake repeated, clearly wondering if he had heard her correctly.

"Yes…" Momo responded, realizing her story sounded absolutely ludicrous but knowing she had to stick to it anyway. The teacher shook his head, clearly resisting the strong urge to laugh.

"Well I won't question you further I suppose. Just don't make a habit of wandering into janitor's closets," he said to her. Momo nodded.

"I'll do my best," she answered, amazed that the man wasn't irritated with her in any way. The three began to make their way back to the classroom in silence though upon passing a clock Momo realized that the period was almost over anyway. Swallowing she glanced up at Ukitake and asked:

"Um, about those questions…?" The man raised an eyebrow at her.

"Oh yes, I suppose I did say those were due didn't I?" he asked. She nodded. He seemed to think the statement over in his mind before shrugging and smiling down at her.

"I suppose I can make an exception today and let you two finish them as part of your homework," he said. Momo nodded, unsure whether this was good or bad news.

"Thank you," she replied.

They arrived back at the classroom about five minutes before the bell was due to ring and Momo slid into her desk and shut her textbook, knowing she wasn't going to get any work done anyway. Hitsugaya did the complete opposite, immediately throwing himself into the work despite the lack of time remaining. Swallowing, Momo spoke up.

"Um, Hitsugaya I…" she trailed off as he looked up at her, his eyes distant and cold though they softened a bit upon meeting her gaze.

"Try to think up a better excuse next time, idiot," he muttered before turning back to his work. Despite the situation Momo smiled, packing up her things and placing them into her book bag. It was obvious Hitsugaya wasn't mad at her, even if he did suspect her of eavesdropping and for some reason, that made the whole janitor incident worth it. Yet even so her heart still ached from seeing his father raise his hand against him that way despite the fact he hadn't been hurt. She wanted to help him but she had no idea how to do it. Hitsugaya wasn't exactly the type of person to let others in on his personal problems and he certainly wasn't the type to ask for help. She supposed she was just going to have to find her own way to help him, whether he liked it or not.

………………

Compared to history class, the rest of the day passed by rather uneventfully. Despite her best attempts to stay cheerful Momo couldn't help but feel more than a little bit worried about her roommate and she still had yet to come up with any plans to help him. Because of this she was distracted all throughout her English class, shooting Hitsugaya glances across the room every two seconds but always dropping her gaze when he looked up. She had to think of something soon or she was going to drive herself crazy.

The bell rang announcing the end of the day and all the students gathered their things about them and headed towards the door, talking loudly amongst themselves about what they had done over the past weekend. Momo moved a little slower, trying to brainstorm ideas as she put her belongings away.

"Are you alright, Hinamori?" The girl glanced up to see Aizen looking down at her, his eyebrows raised inquiringly, brown eyes reflecting concern. Glancing around the girl realized the room was deserted aside from Ichimaru, Aizen, and herself. Sighing she slumped down into her chair and frowned, shaking her head.

"Not really," she responded.

"Is it anything I can help you with?" the man asked. Momo looked up at him only to hear Toshiro's distinct warning about the man pass through her mind. Frowning she shook it off. Aizen was clearly a good guy who was genuinely concerned about her. Hitsugaya was just being paranoid.

"Maybe," she responded. Aizen smiled at her and immediately Momo felt that familiar warmth shoot through her body and she ducked her head to keep from blushing.

"W-well the thing is, I have this friend who I think might really be having trouble with, with certain issues. I really want to help him but I don't think he wants any so… so I was wondering if maybe there was something I could do for him that he wouldn't notice but would help him anyway and… I'm sorry, I'm not making any sense," she muttered, her blush raising as she trailed off. Aizen chuckled and shook his head.

"No, you're making perfect sense. It's true that people can be a little hardheaded sometimes and it seems to me that your friend is a perfect example of this. I bet he appreciates you more than you think. Just keep being yourself around him and he may open up sooner than you think," he said to her.

"Really?" Momo asked. Aizen smiled and nodded, placing his hand on her head and ruffling her hair fondly.

"I promise. Don't worry so much," he said to her. Momo's heart skipped a beat and she couldn't help but feel that her face had turned into a tomato without her permission.

"Th-thank you very much! I'll try not to," she said to him. Aizen laughed again and removed his hand from her head as she stood up and made her way towards the door. A thought suddenly crossed her mind however and she paused, turning back to him and opening her mouth.

"Um, I know I'm just a student but if there's anything I could ever assist you with sir, please feel free to ask," she said to him. Aizen raised his eyebrows at her before a thoughtful expression suddenly passed over his face.

"Actually, there is something you could help me with, that is if you don't mind," he said to her. Momo rapidly shook her head.

"No that's okay! What can I do?" she inquired. Aizen smiled at her before walking behind his desk and opening a drawer, producing a white envelope from within.

"I have this letter I told a friend I would deliver today but some things have come up and I'm no longer able to do so. They live quite close to here so if it isn't too far out of your way, would you mind dropping it off for me?" he asked of her. Momo's face lit up and she started forward to take the letter from his hands.

"I don't have practice today so that shouldn't be a problem," she said to him. Aizen's smile widened.

"That would be great thank you. The address is written on the envelope. 2041 Sakura Avenue, it's not far from Urahara's," he said to her. "Just take a right at the end of the street before taking another right and it should be your second left. The house is a little ways down but you shouldn't have any trouble," he said to her. Hinamori nodded to him before adjusting her backpack and smiling.

"I'll get it there no problem. See you tomorrow!" she said to him. He nodded and waved as she exited the classroom, his expression hardening as soon as she was gone from view.

"Wasn't that just a little bit cruel?" Ichimaru asked, speaking up for the first time. Aizen chuckled and turned back to his desk.

"In what way?" Gin shook his head but made no reply, the smirk flickering across his face response enough.

………………

Momo headed past Urahara's, an extra spring to her step as she made her way down the block. She didn't know why she was so excited to be running an errand and for a teacher no less. Even so Aizen always seemed to be helping her out either by pulling her out of the way of speeding cars or giving her advice when she needed it… Really it was the least she could do to help him in any way she could.

Arriving at the end of the block she took a right like Aizen had told her to do, turning onto a pleasant looking street with one story houses and plenty of trees. The breeze was a bit chilly however and she found herself wishing she had remembered to put on a jacket upon changing out of her uniform. Summer was rapidly turning into fall and this little trip only helped to remind her of this unfortunate fact. Hopefully whoever was receiving this letter didn't live too far away.

"Second left, second left…" Momo murmured to herself, passing by the first one and turning down the second onto Sakura Avenue. Almost immediately the hairs on the back of her neck pricked and she paused, unable to shake the distinct feeling that she was being watched. Glancing around she saw no one which only proved to heighten her sense of unease. Shaking her head she continued forward, determined to deliver this letter as fast as possible. The girl quickened her pace and glanced back and forth at the various houses, knowing she had to be close now as the end of the street was in sight.

After what felt like forever she finally located the correct address near the street's end. It was a pleasant looking white house despite the fact that there was a rather overgrown looking garden in the front and two ratty looking trees on either side of that. Swallowing Momo headed up the driveway and stepped onto the front porch, hesitating a moment before ringing the door bell and standing back to wait. About a minute passed before she heard the sound of footsteps from within and a tall woman with short red hair opened the door and raised an eyebrow upon seeing Momo standing there. The girl smiled, glancing at the envelope before saying:

"Um hello. Are you Ms. Akemi Ito?" The woman nodded once, still looking confused as to why in the world Hinamori was standing on your doorstep. "I have a letter for you from…"

"I know who it's from!" the woman snapped, suddenly snatching the letter from Momo's hands and stepping back into the house. "Thank you for your trouble," she added shortly before shutting the door and vanishing inside. Momo blinked before shrugging and hopping off the doorstep, wondering how in the world someone as kind as Aizen knew such a rude woman.

She was halfway down the block when she once again experienced the overwhelming sensation of being watched and she turned around in time to see two people in baggy sweatshirts with hoods covering their faces running at her. She took a step back, letting out a startled cry as they surrounded her on either side, their faces invisible within their hoods.

"Wh-who are you?" she stammered, trying not to let the fear leak into her voice but knowing it was a lost cause. Quick as a flash the first lashed out at her, their fist catching her across the cheek and sending her sprawling to the ground. She gasped in pain upon hitting the pavement, feeling more than a little bit dazed from the blow. Trying to shake the wooziness from her head she attempted to scramble to her feet only to be walloped again by the second. She felt the sting as her lip split and she stumbled backwards tasting blood in her mouth.

"Grab 'im." The voice was undoubtedly male and before Momo knew what had happened, she was face planting the sidewalk, her arms twisted painfully behind her back as the one who wasn't holding her captive pulled out a rope.

"Help!" she hollered, hoping that someone, anyone would hear her. Blind panic was coursing through her veins and her cheek and mouth were throbbing from where she'd been hit. "Please somebody!" she shouted again.

"Shut up," the voice hissed and she felt something hard make connection with her head, completely jarring her senses and sending her into a state of woozy semi consciousness. She barely felt herself begin to get lifted up when there was the sound of light running footsteps and a high voice shouted:

"Hey! Just what do you meanies think you're doing?" Momo blinked, her head too fuzzy to grasp what was going on around her. She could barely make out the sound of fighting before something heavy fell beside her and a split second later a second something followed it. There was a moment of silence before the sound of light footsteps echoed through her head and, upon glancing up, she could barely make out a shock of pink hair before her world slowly began to darken.

"Uh oh, this doesn't look good. I should call Kenny so he can take care of those jerks! Just hold on for a second okay? You're going to be just fine!"

………………

**Yay so sorry for the delay but I made this chapter extra long for it which I hope you all appreciate. Please don't forget to check out the picture I dedicated to you all on deviant art! Thank you so much for all of your amazing reviews and helping Frozen Secret to make it this far! **

**~Phoenix**


	19. Vows

**A/N: Might I just say I LOVE YOU GUYS TO DEATH!!! Okay, I'm done… BTW loved episode 240 of Bleach. Hinamori was SOOO cute when she was talking about Hitsugaya. Did you see her expression!!!!!???? Lol okay sorry just throwing that one out there and I'm going to start writing before my fan girlish mind runs away with itself.**

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A soft light tickled the tops of her eyelids, slowly pulling her from the depths of unconsciousness and onto the edge of the waking world. Her head felt heavy, almost as though someone had attached a lead weight to it while she'd been out of action. Something told her she needed to wake up now and, with a huge amount of effort, she slowly opened her eyes and blinked them multiple times in the new light that bathed her vision.

"Oh, oh Kenny! I think she's waking up!" Momo winced as the high pitched voice echoed around in her head, not helping the headache that had suddenly blossomed in her right temple. Her entire body ached, her cheek hurt like crazy and her lip felt dry and tender when she brought up a hand to touch it. What in the world had happened and, better question, where in the world was she?

She was lying on a simple white cot inside a rather plain looking room with a window on the opposite wall, the source of the light drifting lazily into the room. Yet before she got a chance to better inspect her surroundings a brightly smiling face suddenly shoved itself into her line of sight, completely obscuring everything else from view.

"Hiya! How're you feeling sleepy head?" Momo blinked, opening and closing her mouth multiple times, realized she looked like a fish and promptly stopped. The girl before her giggled and took a couple steps back, cocking her head to the side and studying her curiously.

"Wh-who are you?" Hinamori asked, turning her head to glance around her and immediately regretting it as another flash of pain wracked her skull. The pink haired girl frowned, prancing over and sticking her face into Momo's again.

"Uh oh, that's not good. Stop moving around so much silly, you're just going to make it worse," she said to her.

"You still haven't answered my question," Momo responded through gritted teeth. The girl paused a moment before laughing and plopping over to sit on the floor beside Hinamori's cot.

"I'm Yachiru Kusajishi! I saw those bullies being mean to you and decided I should help you out a little. Kenny's the one who really took care of them though. Don't worry, they won't bother you again," she exclaimed. Momo carefully raised her eyebrows, unsure whether this action would cause pain as well.

"Kenny?" she inquired. Yachiru frowned and stood up before prancing over to the door and opening it.

"Kenny! Keeeeeeennnnnnnyyyyyyy she's awake!" the girl called, her piercing voice not helping Momo's headache any. Hinamori heard the distinct sound of unintelligible grumbling from the other room before Yachiru darted out of sight entirely only to return seconds later holding the hand of the most intimidating man Momo had ever laid eyes on. He was incredibly tall with an extremely narrow face ending in a pointy chin rivaling an even pointer noise. A long scar extended from his forehead to the tip of his chin, passing right through a narrowed eye that was currently fixed on her, the other covered up by a black eye patch. His hair was completely gelled back into multiple spikes which only proved to add to his outlandish appearance, the fact that tiny bells were attached to the ends of each one not helping the situation at all. It was in that moment that Momo was completely convinced she'd landed herself smack dab in the middle of a loony bin.

"So you're finally up, eh kid?" Momo stared up at the man addressing her, his low, gravelly voice a perfect match for his roguish appearance.

"Um where exactly am I?" she inquired, pointedly ignoring his question.

"Well that's a silly question! You're at Kenny's house obviously!" Yachiru piped up, releasing her hold on 'Kenny's' hand and going over to sit by her again.

"Really?" Momo responded weakly, now at a complete loss as to what to say next.

"You got a name?" The girl glanced at the man again, his question catching her a bit off guard. Given the circumstances, shouldn't she be the one asking the questions?

"Um, Masaki Hinamori," she replied slowly.

"Masaki huh? Isn't that a boy's name?" he asked her. Momo blanched.

"O-of course it is. B-because, obviously, I'm a boy!" she responded gruffly. The man snorted.

"Bullshit. I know feminine looking guys and even they have more of a build than you. You're too tiny, your face is too girly, and you have no muscle… Probably why those bastards were able to rough you up as well as they did," he responded, a rather feral looking smirk sneaking onto his face as he said this. Momo opened her mouth to make a retort and found that nothing came out. She couldn't for the life of her think how in the world to respond to this guy.

"Now why the hell you're dressed up like that is none of my business and I won't ask you but next time you're walking around in this neighborhood I'd be a little more careful," he said to her. Momo slowly nodded her head up and down, mindful of the ache still pulsing in her temples.

"So uh, Kenny was it…"

"Kenpachi," the man retorted, shooting Yachiru a withering look. "Kenpachi Zaraki." Momo blinked and paused mid sentence, the name striking a chord somewhere in her memory. Where had she heard that name before? Then, suddenly, she remembered. Kenpachi Zaraki had been the name of the dojo master Kira had told her about the other day; the one that Ikkaku, Renji, and Ichigo went to go see. Looking at him now there was no doubt in her mind that everything Ikkaku had said about him was the truth.

"Uh sir, if you wouldn't mind-"

"Don't call me sir. Kenpachi is fine," he interrupted with a snort.

"Kenpachi then. If you wouldn't mind could you maybe keep this meeting quiet from Ikkaku, Ichigo, Renji, and any other Ryouta boys who happen to go to your dojo?" she inquired. Zaraki paused, his good eye studying her face curiously before he shrugged.

"That won't be a problem. If I were you I'd get that head checked out. I'm no doctor but even I can tell that's no love tap you got there," he said to her. Momo nodded.

"Thank you very much! I promise I'll definitely do that!" she said to him. Kenpachi chuckled before turning towards the door.

"Stop by the dojo sometime. Even a wimpy pup like you might learn a thing or two," he said to her. Momo paused, mulling the offer over in her mind. She had no idea why she had been attacked like that earlier. Most likely it had just been a couple of thugs hoping to make off with some money but it might be a good idea to be a little more prepared in case it happened again. Besides, Kenpachi had said she had no muscle and working out in a dojo might help to build up her stamina reserves and increase muscle tone. Making up her mind she nodded, the first genuine smile she'd had since waking up here spreading painfully across her lips.

"I will. Thank you again for your help," she said to him. He raised a hand in the air in acknowledgment before disappearing into the other room, leaving her alone with Yachiru.

"So, what's your real name?" the pink haired girl asked curiously, rocking back and forth on her heels. Hinamori glanced over at her, making a split second decision.

"Momo, Momo Hinamori," she said to her. Yachiru's face lit up!

"Peaches!" she squealed loudly causing Momo to clamp a hand to her head as it throbbed again.

"Y-yeah," she replied. Yachiru giggled and tugged lightly on her arm.

"Come on Peaches, I'll walk you back. Don't worry, no bullies will mess with you while I'm around!" she said to her, a large smile on her face. Momo blinked.

"O-okay," she responded, wondering whether this was a good idea or not. In any case it was apparent to anyone with eyes that Yachiru would not be dissuaded and so it was together that the two walked out the door, through a neat front room, and out onto the block.

……………

Hitsugaya stared at the complicated math formula before him, his mind only halfway focused on the problem. For what had to be the thousandth time in the past five minutes he found his gaze wandering to the digital clock on the bedside table, the small luminescent numbers now reading 7:48. Where in the world was she? The logical side of his brain told him she was more than likely at the library studying or hanging out with one of the other boys, yet the illogical side of his brain was already making up horrible situations that she'd managed to get herself into and now promptly needed rescuing from.

Letting out a sigh of exasperation Toshiro dropped his textbook onto the bed, knowing he wasn't going to get anything done anyway, and grabbed his shoes, sliding them onto his feet before heading towards the door. He wouldn't be able to settle down until he knew she was okay so he might as well go do something about it. Stepping out into the hallway he made his way past the other dorm rooms before padding quietly down the steps and out into the lobby area.

Dusk had already settled over the campus as the sun had almost fully succeeded in slipping beyond the horizon, the vibrant colors of the sunset already fading into the deep purples of night. A slight shiver ran through him as he stepped outside, his body not yet accustomed to the rapidly dropping temperatures brought about by fall. Pulling his light blue jacket a little tighter he set off across campus towards the library, hoping that he might find his roommate there.

Upon arriving he stepped inside, the building's heat immediately enveloping him like a warm bath and he let out an inaudible sigh of relief. Students were sitting at tables in groups of twos and threes, some talking quietly amongst themselves, others simply reading or doing homework. Yet despite the abundance of people, Hinamori's familiar face was not present among them. Frowning Hitsugaya headed for the stairs, hoping that maybe she could be located up there. Yet as soon as he arrived at the top it was only too obvious that Momo was not here either and therefore was clearly not in the library at all.

"Yo, Hitsugaya!" Toshiro blinked and turned to see Renji, Ichigo, and Hisagi sitting at a table near the mouth of the stairs, nearly hidden behind the large piles of books stacked in front of them. The boy nodded distractedly their way before turning to head back to the first floor. He had gotten about halfway down the staircase before he was stopped by a hand on his shoulder, holding him in place.

"Hey are you okay?" Toshiro turned to see Hisagi staring down at him, Ichigo and Renji not far behind. Hitsugaya opened his mouth to say he was fine before hesitating, wondering if maybe Hinamori had been with one of the three of them at any point after school that day.

"You guys haven't seen Hinamori at all have you?" he asked them. There was a pause as the three frowned, glancing at each other for a brief moment before shaking their heads.

"I haven't seen him since study hall," Renji replied while Ichigo nodded his agreement. Hitsugaya looked at Hisagi though the young man only shook his head.

"Haven't seen him all day," he responded. "Why is something wrong?" Hitsugaya frowned and shook his head.

"No, nothing's wrong. Thanks anyway," he responded.

"I'll help you look for him!" Renji immediately offered, taking a step down the stairs. Hitsugaya raised an eyebrow at him, unsure whether the redhead was offering because he was genuinely concerned or because he just wanted to get out of homework.

"I'll go too," Hisagi chimed in while Ichigo sighed and shook his head.

"Count me in," he said, shoving his hands into his pockets and leaning up against the railing. Hitsugaya opened his mouth to protest though was interrupted by a fourth arrival.

"I couldn't help overhearing, but are you guys looking for Hinamori?" Toshiro whirled around to see who had spoken only to come face to face with Uryu Ishida.

"Have you seen him?" he inquired, his voice sounding much more demanding than he had meant it to.

"As a matter of fact, I have," Ishida responded, pushing his glasses up his nose with one hand while juggling a pile of textbooks with the other. "I haven't seen him recently but I noticed him coming out of Aizen's English classroom a little later than everybody else before heading out across campus towards Urahara's. I doubt he's still there but maybe Urahara or Yoruichi have seen him," he said to them. Hitsugaya nodded, knowing it wasn't much of a lead but was better than nothing.

"Thanks, Ishida," he said to him before continuing down the stairs, the other three on his heels.

"Watch our stuff for us Ishida!" Renji called behind him while Uryu merely shook his head in exasperation. As soon as they were outside Hitsugaya quickened his pace more and more until he was actually running in the direction of the small café. He couldn't say why, but something was definitely not sitting right in his gut and the simple fact that Ishida had mentioned Aizen's name merely proved to make things worse.

"Toshiro? What the hell is going on?" Ichigo asked, picking up his pace so he was running alongside the boy. Hitsugaya shook his head, not entirely sure how to answer that question.

"I don't know, I just have a bad feeling about this whole thing," he muttered.

"About what whole thing?" Renji asked, clearly more than a little confused.

"Who's that up ahead?" Hisagi asked, diverting everyone's attention for the moment. Slowing to a walk Hitsugaya peered in front of him, barely making out two figures through the rapidly encroaching darkness. The shorter one seemed to be supporting the taller who was moving rather slowly and seemed to be having difficulties walking straight.

"What kind of an idiot gets drunk on a Monday?" Renji muttered, clearly seeing the same two figures Hitsugaya was.

"I don't think they're drunk…" Ichigo responded. Hisagi frowned.

"Wait a second…isn't that?"

"Hinamori," Hitsugaya muttered before he was running towards the two approaching figures as rapidly as his legs could carry him. Upon arrival he found that it was indeed Hinamori and she definitely had seen better days. Her expression seemed rather dazed and her eyes were having difficulty focusing on anything. The skin around her right eye was purpling and swollen and a clear bruise could be seen forming on the cheek below it. Her lip was split and dried blood had clotted around the offended area, merely adding to her ridiculously disheveled appearance. The girl glanced up upon seeing him approach and a relieved smile spread across her lips, only to disappear as she winced in pain.

"H-Hitsugaya! What are you doing here?" she asked, stopping and swaying in place dizzily.

"What the hell happened to you?" he asked, hardly able to talk through his concern and fury.

"I… I was out walking and got jumped by these people…" she responded, her voice sounding tired, her words slightly slurred.

"Did you see who did it!?" he asked.

"No… They were wearing hoods," she responded before swaying again.

"Hey! Stop asking so many questions you big jerk! Get her some help already!" Hitsugaya glanced down at the girl who had spoken, his eyes widening in recognition.

"Yachiru?" he spluttered. She giggled.

"Uh huh, you got it! Now hurry up and get Peaches to a nurse! Kenny already took care of the meanies who did this so now you should take care of the rest," she said to him, glancing up as Hisagi, Renji, and Ichigo finally caught up.

"What the hell…!?" Renji exclaimed upon laying eyes on Hinamori, his eyebrows furrowing two seconds later.

"I'll let you guys handle this. Bye bye! Feel better Peaches!" the pink haired girl squealed before letting go of her patient and hurrying back the way she'd come, vanishing rapidly into the night. Her departure was barely noticed by the others as Hinamori had drawn their complete attention.

"What the hell happened to you kid?" Renji asked, obvious concern leaking through his voice.

"Let him answer questions later. We have to get him to Unohana now!" Hisagi replied, walking forward and placing a steadying hand on Hinamori's shoulder.

"Who's Unohana?" the girl asked, her words drooping nearly as much as she was.

"Ryouta's head nurse. She'll get you fixed up in no time," Ichigo responded, doing his best to give the girl a reassuring smile.

"Do you think I'll be okay for practice tomorrow?" Momo slurred, her eyes beginning to drift closed again.

"Don't worry about that now you idiot. Let's go," Hitsugaya responded through gritted teeth. Hinamori glanced over at him, a small smile on her face again.

"Thanks for coming…Shiro," she barely murmured before tipping forward.

"Shit!" Hisagi exclaimed, catching the girl before she hit the ground, supporting her dead weight easily.

"This is bad," Renji muttered. Ichigo nodded.

"He's obviously got a concussion. Damn it, lets hurry," he muttered. Hisagi nodded once, scooping Momo into his arms before setting off across campus at a rapid pace, though not so fast as to her jar her head in any way. Ichigo and Renji took off after him while Hitsugaya brought up the rear, his fists clenching and unclenching furiously. Who in the world had done this? Momo had said she had just been out walking when she'd been jumped but it was more than a little bit unusual for anyone to be attacked on Ryouta's campus. Besides if that had been the case there was no way Yachiru would have been involved? Where had the little pink haired terror come from anyway? And she had mentioned Kenny, which meant Kenpachi had obviously been involved as well. Maybe he would get some more answers if he went and talked to his old dojo master as it was clear Hinamori was in no state to talk.

She had called him Shiro which obviously meant she wasn't thinking straight. He could only pray Hisagi, Renji, and Ichigo were too distracted to notice the use of the nickname and let it slide, blaming the incident on the obvious blow to her head. Glancing over to where Hisagi was carrying Hinamori, Hitsugaya couldn't help but feel a slight pang of jealousy clench somewhere in his gut. She was his roommate, he could carry her himself… Gritting his teeth he immediately shoved those thoughts aside, knowing this was not the time nor the place to be thinking such things. Uryu had mentioned Aizen… he had said Hinamori had come out of his classroom late which obviously meant the two had been talking. It was more than likely that this tiny detail was in no way related to the attack on his roommate yet a tiny voice inside of him refused to let go of that idea. However as much as this fact annoyed him, and as worried as he was about Hinamori, the thing that bothered him the most was that he had not been there to protect her when she'd needed it.

Scowling he clenched his fists again, letting the tips of his nails dig painfully into the palms of his hands as he made his way forward. Never again, he swore, would he let anything like this happen to her. He would keep her safe, no matter what.

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**So I know not too much happened in this chapter but I hope you enjoyed it anyway. Yay Kenpachi and Yachiru finally make their appearance! Thank you so much for all your amazing reviews, you're all amazing! I LOVED this most recent episode of Bleach where Hinamori was sitting by an injured Hitsugaya's bedside…awwwww so cute! Lol okay sorry sorry, in any case thank you so much for reading. I love you all!**

**~Phoenix**


	20. Hypnosis

**NEW FANART IS UP!!! Thank you so so so much to LidoAznKittyKat and Fantasy Shadow for their **_**ABSOLUTELY GORGEOUS **_**artwork! I have such talented reviewers! Your art is absolutely stunning! Thank you!!! Everybody check it out! The links are once again in my profile!**

**Hello again everybody! Once more I just wanted to express how grateful I am to all of you. When I started this story I never never dreamed it would do as well as it has and so thank you all so much for your wonderful support. **

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Momo glanced blearily up at the woman standing in front of her, her head pounding furiously thus reducing her ability to actually pay attention to what was going on. She knew enough to realize she was sitting in what had to be some sort of nurses office due to the sterile smell and various pictures of the human body posted all over the walls. Hitsugaya, Hisagi, Renji, and Ichigo had been banished to the waiting room while Momo had been given attention right away due to her obvious delirious condition. The woman, Unohana Momo believed she'd been called, stepped back into the room and shut the door behind her, a clipboard in her hand and a smile on her face.

"Looks like you've gotten yourself banged up quite a bit," she said to her. Hinamori nodded weakly, not sure how else to respond.

"Apparently," she responded quietly. Unohana frowned, clucking her tongue as she looked down at the clipboard in her hands.

"Could you tell me your name?" she inquired. Momo frowned, thinking this was a rather silly question. Shouldn't the boys have informed her upon arrival?

"Masaki Hinamori," she responded, getting quite used to addressing herself as such. She was surprised to see a small smile pass over Unohana's face and she made a checkmark on the list in front of her.

"Can you describe what exactly happened?" she asked her. Momo blinked and frowned, thinking back to the circumstances that had lead up to her current situation.

"I was coming back from delivering a letter and the next thing I know I was surrounded by these other guys. They were all wearing hoods so I couldn't see their faces but they just attacked me out of nowhere," she said to her. Unohana frowned, nodding her head.

"I see…" she murmured. "Anything else?" Momo frowned, trying to think back to the fuzzy events circling in her mind. Swallowing she opened her mouth again.

"No that's about all. They didn't say much, though they backed off when Yachiru came," she responded. Unohana nodded and Momo couldn't help but notice the small smile that passed across the woman's face at the mention of the smaller girls name.

"And she was the one who helped you?" she inquired. Momo nodded.

"Yes. Do you know her?" she inquired. Unohana glanced up from her clipboard, her eyes twinkling.

"More than one of the boys that wind up in my office are sent here because of her. She may be small, but size is no reason to underestimate someone. I'm sure you know this better than most," she said to her. Momo winced, mentally comparing her small frame to that of the other boys in her class.

"Yes, I do," she responded. Unohana smiled at her again and Momo attempted to return it, weary of her lip. She couldn't help but like the soft spoken nurse as it was clear that she was a very kind person.

"Well fortunately you haven't suffered any memory loss but you still have a nicely sized concussion. In order to make sure you take care of it properly I want you to make sure to ice your head for at least a half hour, that should help to keep the swelling to a minimum. Make sure you're getting plenty of rest. I wouldn't consider it out of the question to not attend classes tomorrow and instead get as much sleep as you can," she said to her. Momo nodded, not sure whether or not she would follow through with that particular instruction.

"I understand," she said. Unohana fixed her with a piercing look before shaking her head and continuing.

"Make sure to drink plenty of water, even more than you normally would. It's very important to stay hydrated," she said to her. "You might want to ice your black eye as well and, as hard as it might be, try not to smile too much." Momo blinked.

"A-alright…"

"Make sure you have one of your friends get you back to your room okay. You will most likely be feeling dizzy spells for awhile," Unohana instructed.

"Okay. My roommate's here so it shouldn't be a problem," Momo replied, carefully raising to her feet and heading towards the door.

"Toshiro Hitsugaya, correct?" the woman asked. Hinamori blinked.

"Uh huh," she responded, giving the nurse a questioning look. Unohana merely smiled softly, turning back to her clipboard.

"Then I won't have to worry." Momo frowned.

"Why's that?" she inquired.

"Make sure to come back and see me right away if anything gets worse," the nurse told her, neglecting to answer the question. Hinamori bit back her initial response, instead smiling and nodding before opening the door and stepping out into the waiting room. She was surprised and rather touched to see Renji pacing anxiously a few feet away from the office, Hisagi fidgeting nervously in his chair, Ichigo gnawing on his lip and Hitsugaya clenching and unclenching his fists over and over again. The tension in the room almost knocked her over yet she couldn't help the warm feeling that bubbled up in her stomach at their obvious concern. As soon as they saw her the three jumped to their feet and Renji ceased his monotonous pacing.

"Hinamori!" Hisagi exclaimed. "Are you alright!?" Unohana stepped out behind her, placing a comforting hand on her shoulder and giving the boys a comforting smile.

"He'll be alright as long as he takes it easy for the next week or so," she told them.

"Does that mean he can't-" Renji began though was cut off.

"Yes, no soccer practice," Unohana stated firmly. Despite her disappointment Hinamori couldn't help but laugh quietly at the way her friend's faces dropped. She supposed she should take their reactions as a compliment as it was clear they were just as upset at her inability to play as she was and therefore considered her an asset to the team.

"Would it be alright if I still went to watch?" she asked, turning her head to look at the nurse. The woman let a small sigh escape her lips and she gave a slight nod of her head.

"As long as you aren't tempted to play that should be just fine. Now you should get some sleep, it's getting late," she murmured, giving the girl a last smile before once more disappearing into the office and shutting the door behind her. There was a small pause following this action before Hisagi cleared his throat and shoved his hands into his pockets.

"A-as team captain I think it is still vital that you attend practice even though you can't play," he said to her, doing his best to look regal and captain like. Renji snorted, giving the boy a light whack to the shoulder.

"We already talked about that idiot. Now let's get Hinamori's crippled ass back to the dorm," he exclaimed.

"I'm not that crippled!" Momo protested, attempting to take an intimidating step forward and failing miserably as she swayed on the spot, only to be steadied by Hitsugaya's arm as it suddenly appeared around her shoulders.

"Stop protesting stupid. Let's just go," he muttered. Ichigo, Renji, and Hisagi were only too quick to agree, promptly leading the way out of the nurses office and back across campus towards Dorm 2.

……………

Kira let a small sigh of relief escape his lips as he stepped from the chilling night air into Ryouta High's conveniently heated hallways. He had to remember to bring a jacket as fall was quickly overtaking the last days of summer causing the temperature to drop accordingly. But now wasn't a time to get distracted. Swallowing the blonde adjusted his backpack and headed off down the hallway towards the English wing. It was 8:00, a rather late hour to be found at the school, yet the paper Aizen had assigned was causing his brain to tie itself in knots and he needed help. Despite the fact that this was not their usual tutoring hours Ichimaru had told Kira that he could usually be found in Aizen's office until around 8:30 if he ever needed help on any given school day. Thus he was taking action, having given up asking any of his other classmates for help. For some reason everyone seemed to be missing from their rooms…

Shaking his head he turned down another corridor and up a set of stairs before finally arriving at his destination. He was relieved to see that the office door was open a crack and light was flowing out of it, a sure sign that it was currently occupied. Satisfied Kira made his way forward and lifted his hand to knock though paused at the sound of voices from within.

"So your lackeys failed to get their hands on her eh?" Kira frowned, recognizing Ichimaru's familiar snide tone immediately.

"Yes unfortunately. I shouldn't be surprised however as idiots like that can't be expected to pull off the simplest of orders correctly." This was Aizen. Kira's frown deepened. Lackeys? Orders? What in the world were the two talking about?

"Isn't it a bit early to be putting your plans in motion? The boy's not even 18 yet," Ichimaru asked unconcernedly. There was the sound of low chuckling that, for whatever reason, sent a chill up Kira's spine.

"It shouldn't matter. If that fool would do his job correctly it won't make a difference whether or not the boy's of age when everything unfolds," Aizen responded smoothly. "Apparently his little spy isn't working out so easily either. I'm not surprised; that little tart has the mental capacity of a rock." Kira's eyes widened. This did not sound like a conversation two teachers should be having. It almost seemed like they were rehearsing lines from a play yet Ichimaru and Aizen were in no way involved with Ryouta's drama department.

"You're too cruel Aizen, treating your puppets this way," Ichimaru murmured, though Kira couldn't help but notice the severe lack of sincerity in his tone.

"What use have I for idiots?" Aizen responded coolly. Kira gasped and took a step back, knowing full well this was a conversation he should not be hearing. He couldn't help but feel that here was not a good place to be right then and he should get the hell out of there-

"Why Izuru, what might you be doin' here?" Kira gulped and glanced up to see Ichimaru peering out of the door, his eyes their usual slits though for the first time the blonde noticed a crimson glimmer barely reflected under their surface.

"I-I was just l-looking for help on the English paper," he stammered, attempting to take a step backwards though for some reason his legs were failing him.

"Then why didn't ya just knock?" Ichimaru asked, though Kira had the distinct feeling he already knew the answer.

"I'm sorry, I'll do that next time. I-I think I get it now anyway so I'll just-" he began though was cut off as Aizen suddenly appeared beside Ichimaru, opening the office door completely.

"Nonsense. You came for help and we'll give it to you. Please, do come in," he murmured, his usual smile on his face. Kira swallowed, every nerve in his body screaming for him to run yet for some reason he found himself walking forwards instead of away.

"A-alright," he replied, a cold sweat breaking out all over his body as he stepped into the office. Ichimaru stepped in behind him and closed the door, placing himself between Kira and his escape route. Glancing up Izuru watched Aizen face the back wall for the briefest of moments though when he turned around he was holding a miniature model of a sword in his palm. On its hilt was a penny sized crystal orb that almost seemed to glow, drawing Kira's gaze and holding it. The more he watched it, the fuzzier his vision became as everything else around him faded into black.

"So, what did you need help with?" Aizen's voice was distant in the back of his mind, more of an annoying buzz than anything else. The hilt of the blade seemed to shift to a distinct red color and Kira blinked his eyes sleepily, trying to clear his mind. Why was he so tired all of the sudden?

"You didn't hear anything interesting did you?" Aizen's voice suddenly filled his mind, slipping in and out of his consciousness like water through his fingers.

"N-no, of course not," Kira responded, trying to remember just what conversation his English teacher was talking about. They had been plotting something… and plans had gone wrong… The sword glowed all the more and Kira totally lost his train of thought, his mind completely engrossed in the colors shifting through his head.

"I think it would be a good idea if you headed back to your dorm and completely forgot about everything you saw here tonight," Aizen said to him, his voice a soothing presence in the young man's mind. Kira nodded slowly, wondering why in the world he hadn't thought of this sooner.

"I'll do that…" he responded mechanically before turning and stumbling out of the office. The two watched him leave, Ichimaru standing and shutting the door as soon as the teenager had stepped through it.

"That was close, wouldn't you say?" he asked as he turned back to Aizen, a small smile playing across his lips. The other man shrugged.

"He won't remember any of it in the morning," he responded coolly, closing his fingers around the sword and staring at it fondly.

"I haven't seen you use that for quite awhile," the silver haired man commented lightly. Aizen shrugged, a dangerous sneer creeping over his lips.

"Well we can't kill every person who overhears what they shouldn't. Especially not here," he replied calmly. Ichimaru smiled in return.

"No, I suppose not…"

……………

The group had just about reached the comfort of their dorm when Ichigo glanced up and raised an eyebrow, halting suddenly and causing Renji to crash into his back.

"What the hell…?" the red head trailed off as he followed Ichigo's line of sight. Kira was walking towards them, his face blank, eyes unfocused, feet dragging along slowly beneath him in a very accurate zombie impression.

"Kira? Oy, you okay?" Ichigo asked though was met with no response as the blonde walked right past him and up the stairs, disappearing into the dorm without a backwards glance.

"What in the world was that all about?" Hisagi asked out loud, clearly just as confused at their friends behavior as Ichigo was.

"Lets just get Hinamori back," the strawberry muttered, shaking his head and taking the initial steps towards the dorm. Hitsugaya nodded mutely, glancing over to where his roommate was leaning heavily on his shoulder, her head drooping wearily.

"Come on," he murmured quietly to her. She nodded, doing her best to smile at him despite the state she was currently in.

"Sorry to be so much trouble," she whispered. Hitsugaya sighed, shaking his head and stepping through the door Hisagi was holding open for them.

"Stop worrying about it stupid. Just focus on feeling better," he replied.

"Okay…"

The group took the elevator up despite living on the second floor as it would obviously cause less pain to Hinamori's head this way. Upon stepping out into the hall the group paused, Ichigo, Renji, and Hisagi hesitating before Renji spoke up.

"Well, I guess we can leave the rest to you then," he said, glancing pointedly at Toshiro who nodded.

"Take care Hinamori. You can skip practice tomorrow," Hisagi said, giving her a slight smile. Momo frowned.

"But I thought you said…"

"Tomorrow's an exception. Just get better!" he told her sternly. She hesitated before smiling and nodding.

"I will, thanks Hisagi." The soccer captain nodded once in satisfaction before raising a hand in farewell and heading off down the hallway, Renji and Ichigo behind him.

"Come on, lets get you back to the room," Hitsugaya said to her, once more placing a steadying arm across her back and leading her towards their dorm. Momo relaxed into him, allowing him to guide her forwards. If her roommate noticed this act he didn't say anything though had the girl glanced up she would have noticed a faint tinge of red spreading across his cheeks. He dropped his arm as soon as they got to the door, wasting no time inserting the key and pushing it open, letting her step in before him. The girl immediately stumbled across the floor and collapsed onto her bed, weary of her head as she did so. Hitsugaya watched her, a tiny smile on his face.

"Don't fall asleep, I'll be right back," he said. Momo nodded, burrowing further into her pillow in the process. The boy shook his head, leaving the room anyway. Hinamori watched him exit, blinking her eyes tiredly as she did so. She was curious as to where he had headed off to though gave up trying to think about it as her head was pounding too much. It was such a shame that she would have to miss practice the next day as she had been looking forward to it for a long time now. Oh well, this just provided more motivation for her to get better sooner.

Hitsugaya returned shortly there after, an icepack in his hand that he promptly handed to her. Momo grinned at him, feeling a distinct case of déjà vu as she accepted it.

"Thank you," she said to him, placing it against the tender area of her head. The boy merely grunted in response, walking over to his drawers and rummaging around in them before pulling out a bottle of painkillers. Taking one of their bottles of water he set it beside her before carefully opening the little pill container and dumping two into his palm.

"Here, take these," he said to her, holding them out for the girl to grab. She stared up at him a second before her face broke into a painful smile and she nodded, reaching out her hand and scooping the pills out of his. Popping them into her mouth she washed them down with a gulp of water before turning and staring up at him, a tiny smile on her face.

"Thank you for taking such good care of me," she murmured. He snorted and turned away, shoving his hands into his pockets.

"I wouldn't have to if you wouldn't get yourself into trouble all the time," he responded shortly.

"I know," Momo responded and Toshiro was alarmed to hear her sniffle. He whirled around in time to see her brush a tear from her cheek and rub her eye in frustration.

"Wh-why are you crying now?" he exclaimed, before biting his lip and wondering if that came out too harsh.

"I'm sorry!" Momo choked. "I know you must think I'm a crybaby but… I was… when they attacked me… I was so scared…" Toshiro's eyes immediately softened and a sigh escaped his lips as he ran a hand through his hair.

"They won't hurt you again and if they try to I'll kill them." Momo blinked, his words nearly startling her out of her tears. Hitsugaya's face turned a bright cherry red and he dropped his gaze, trying and failing to think of something else to say. He heard the quiet sound of bed springs creaking and lifted his eyes to see Hinamori slid off the mattress, now standing mere inches from him. The two were very close and Toshiro felt his face heat up even more as her eyes met his and stayed there. He was in the process of taking a step back when she suddenly stepped into him, cautiously wrapping her arms around his middle and resting her head carefully against his shoulder. The boy tensed, lifting his arms a bit though not entirely sure where to go from there.

"Thank you. Thank you so much Toshiro," she whispered, clinging to him as though afraid that if she let go, he would disappear entirely. Hitsugaya swallowed, an unexpected shiver running through his body as she said his name. As much as he wanted to deny it he liked this feeling. He liked how close she was to him and he could barely suppress the urge to hug her back. Ever so carefully he brought up his right hand and gave her the lightest of bonks on the head, unwilling to admit he was afraid to do anything more than that.

"That's Hitsugaya to you, stupid bed wetter…"

……………

**Sorry!!! This chapter was a bit late. I have a Frisbee tournament this weekend so I figured I'd better update now instead of wait the three extra days. Please check out those fan arts in my profile, they really are absolutely gorgeous! I love you guys!**

**~Phoenix**


	21. A Little History

**A/N: Hello everybody… *Promptly avoids flying tomatoes and rotten vegetables* Yes a huge apology is written at the end of this chapter but for now…**

**NEW FANART!!! ****Link is in my profile! Stardust 897 drew an awesome cover page for Frozen Secret so everybody should check out the beautiful artwork! Thanks so much Stardust!!! :D The links in my profile!**

……………

Beep! Beep! Beep! Toshiro groaned, burrowing his head farther into his pillow before forcing his hand from beneath the comfort of his covers and out towards the annoying alarm clock. After a few moments of floundering around his fingers finally made contact with the off button, silencing the irritating beeping and allowing a peaceful quiet to once more settle over the room. Sitting up he blearily wiped the sleep from his eyes before stifling a large yawn with his hand and rolling out of bed. Glancing over at Momo he saw her slowing begin to stir, squinting her eyes against the thin streams of light issuing in through the window and groaning softly.

"Morning…" she mumbled. Toshiro snorted, heading over to his chest of drawers and pulling his rather rumpled uniform from inside, trying in vain to smooth out the wrinkles.

"Go back to bed, you shouldn't go to class today," he said to her. She frowned at him, opening her eyes and blinking sleepily.

"No, I think I'll be okay," she replied, attempting to sit up and wincing almost immediately. Toshiro rounded on her, dropping his uniform carelessly onto the floor and scowled.

"You heard what Unohana said. I don't want to see you out of that bed until I'm absolutely sure your concussion is better," he snapped. Momo blinked at him, his strict tone catching her off guard.

"But I'll fall behind…" she protested. Hitsugaya sighed, leaning down to once again pick his crumpled uniform up off the ground, draping it over his arm as he headed towards the door. Reaching for the handle he paused for a second, his hand floating just over the knob.

"Don't worry about falling behind. I'll help you with studying and everything so… just get better," he muttered before opening the door and sliding out without a backwards glance. A grin melted onto Momo's face and she snuggled happily back under her covers, unable to prevent the warm feeling rapidly bubbling up inside of her.

…………

Hinamori huffed in irritation, glaring around her dorm room which now felt more like a cage than anything else. It was a couple of hours after Hitsugaya had left and she had woken up about thirty minutes ago. For lack of something better to do the girl had attempted to roll over and fall back asleep yet was thwarted as her eyes stubbornly refused to close. So now here she was, sitting in her bed with absolutely nothing to do. Her textbooks sat hauntingly on the floor beside her bed and she stared at them guiltily, knowing it would probably be the best idea to do some schoolwork. The fact of the matter was however, that she was finding it rather impossible to get herself to open them.

Letting the breath whoosh from her lungs she stared unhappily at the digital clock on her roommate's bedside, the tiny numbers reading 11:37. Her stomach growled angrily and she frowned, realizing that she had yet to eat breakfast. Lunch would probably be more appropriate, noting the hour, but she didn't exactly have any food that could be considered meal worthy in the dorm. An idea slowly wormed its way into her mind and she grinned, pushing the covers off of her and slowly sliding her legs off the bed. There was no way she was going to get a decent lunch here, and she hadn't been to Urahara's in awhile…

As she stood up a small wave of dizziness halted her movement for a moment before fading, leaving behind a tiny headache in its wake. Momo frowned, remembering Toshiro telling her she should be resting. Oh well, what he didn't know wouldn't hurt him. Rapidly changing into some warmer clothing Hinamori ran a brush through her hair before slipping on her shoes and socks, grabbing her room key from her desk, and heading towards the door. She would have to do her best to avoid people as she might get some suspicious looks for not being in class. It would be kind of a futile effort to tell any nosey faculty members that she wasn't in class due to a concussion when she was heading to Urahara's café, even if it was the truth.

Heading down the stairs and out the door onto the grounds she was immediately met with a blast of wintry wind and she shivered, clutching her coat closer to her, glad for its extra warmth. She set off slowly across campus, taking her time so as to not aggravate her head. It was strange to see the grounds so deserted though she supposed it made sense seeing how everyone else was in class. It was actually kind of peaceful and she found herself rather enjoying the walk despite the slight pang in her head and the briskness of the air.

It wasn't long before Urahara's rose welcomingly in front of her and she quickened her pace, opening the door and gladly stepping into the heated café. A bell jangled somewhere overhead, announcing her arrival to the two store owners behind the counter. Urahara glanced up, a smile warming his face as he saw her.

"Hey kid, long time no see," he commented with a slight wave of his hand. Hinamori nodded sheepishly before returning his smile.

"Yeah, things have been busy," she replied. The man stepped around the counter and made his way towards her, a small frown replacing his grin as he took in her appearance.

"I can see that," he murmured. "Looks like you've managed to get yourself into a bit of a scuffle." Hinamori laughed nervously, dropping her gaze to the ground.

"…Yeah," she replied quietly.

"Stop interrogating the kid idiot. At least let him eat before you start the twenty questions." Momo glanced up to see Yoruichi had stepped out from behind the counter as well and now stood behind Urahara, an exasperated expression on her face. Momo shook her head, winced, and stopped.

"No that's alright. I don't mind talking about it," she replied. The other woman sighed, crossing her arms over her chest and shaking her head.

"Well at least sit down and let us get you something to eat. We're pretty slow right now so if you give us a couple minutes we can come join you and then you can tell us whatever you want," she said to her. Momo glanced up, her brown eyes meeting Yoruichi's warm golden ones and she nodded, glad she had decided to come here after all.

"Thank you so much, I'd like that a lot," she said to them. Urahara grinned and he placed his hands gently on her back, pushing her lightly toward a booth.

"Well then what are you waiting for? Sit down, sit down!" he demanded. Momo laughed and followed his instructions, gladly taking a seat beside the large window.

"So what can we get for you?" Yoruichi asked her. Momo hesitated, not entirely sure what she wanted after all. The pancakes she had had last time were delicious but she wondered if it might be a bit boring to get the same thing twice in a row. She needn't have worried for two seconds later Urahara was placing a menu in front of her, his eyes sparkling merrily. Hinamori picked it up, paging through the pages before she made her selection.

"May I have the turkey and cheese sandwich please?" she asked politely. Yoruichi nodded, shaking her head at Momo's formality.

"Relax kiddo, seriously," she said to her before winking and heading back behind the counter again. Hinamori was surprised when Urahara didn't follow her but instead slid himself into the seat across from her own. Momo blinked, wondering if it was normal for the café's owner to sit down with his customers as comfortably as he was doing with her. She raised her eyes slowly to meet his own, the man raising his eyebrows at her as soon as his her brown orbs reached his light ones.

"So…" he began, leaning back into the chair and swinging his arm casually along its back. Momo smiled unsurely, waiting for him to say something.

"Aren't you supposed to be in class right about now?" he asked her. Momo grinned nervously, nodding her head slowly.

"I guess I could be in class right now, but I got a concussion the other day and was told to take it easy," she responded. "The nurse told me it would probably be a good idea not to attend class today." Urahara raised an eyebrow.

"Would she be happy to know you're here right now?" he asked. Momo grinned sheepishly and shook her head.

"Probably not," she replied truthfully. Urahara laughed out loud, causing some of the customers to look over at them curiously. Hinamori flushed and dropped her gaze to her lap, wondering what in the world had been so funny about her comment. All the sudden there was a resounding crash from the kitchen, causing Momo to jump nearly a foot in the air while Urahara merely looked up, a sigh escaping his lips.

"What in the world are those two up to now?" he muttered to himself. Hinamori looked and him inquiringly and was about to ask who he was referring to when a loud voice echoing from the back cut her off.

"Look what you did now Ururu! Geez, the boss is going to fire you for sure!" Urahara immediately fixed Momo with a patient grin as he said: "Excuse me for a moment," and promptly left the table.

"O-okay," Momo replied though he had already begun to walk away. She watched his retreating back until he disappeared into the kitchen before sinking back further into the booth and letting a whoosh of air escape her lungs. Today was bound to be rather boring after all…

The jingling of the café's bell alerted her to the fact that someone had entered the small shop and she glanced up only to see Matsumoto walking in through the front doors, glancing around for somewhere to sit.

"Rangiku!" Momo called, waving her hand to get her friend's attention. The strawberry blonde looked her way, her eyes lighting up as they met Hinamori's and she promptly made her way over.

"What are you doing out of…" Matsumoto began though trailed off as she got a good look at the girl sitting across from her. "What the hell happened?" Momo sighed, having known that question was coming as soon as her friend walked in the door.

"Um there was a bit of a fight…" she began slowly.

"I'll say. With what, a bulldozer?" Rangiku interrupted. Hinamori giggled and shook her head.

"No, not quite," she responded before launching into the story of what had happened beginning with Aizen asking her to deliver the letter, to the thugs beating her up, to meeting Kenpachi, and then finally being retrieved by Hitsugaya and the others. Matsumoto listened in silence, her eyes never leaving Momo's as she told the story. When she was done the girl sighed and leaned back into the booth, a small frown on her face.

"I-is something wrong?" Momo asked cautiously. Rangiku raised an eyebrow at her.

"You mean aside from the fact that one of my friend's just got the shit kicked out of her?" she inquired slyly. Hinamori flushed, dropping her gaze to her lap again.

"Yeah…" she replied, feeling silly. Rangiku giggled softly before shaking her head.

"It's just unusual that's all. I mean the neighborhoods around her aren't one hundred percent safe but it's unusual for muggings to happen in the middle of the day," she responded.

"I guess I'm just lucky," Hinamori replied, making an attempt at a joke. Rangiku snorted though didn't respond. Right at that moment Urahara returned, Momo's sandwich in his hand, his usual smile on his face.

"Sorry about that," he told her with a grin as he set the dish in front of her. "Nice to see you Rangiku." The girl grinned at him, nodding her head.

"The usual Urahara, and step on it," she ordered. Kisuke chuckled as he stepped back and away from the table.

"Alright, alright, you don't have to be so demanding about it," he said to her. "Aren't you supposed to be polite to your host?" Rangiku rolled her eyes.

"Since when have you cared about anything like that?" she snapped. Urahara chuckled but didn't respond, instead vanishing back in the direction of the kitchen. There was a slight pause as Hinamori took a bite of her sandwich, relishing the flavor of the toasted bread, turkey, and melted cheese as it enveloped her senses and cheered her stomach. After she had swallowing she refocused her attention on Matsumoto, opening her mouth to ask the question that had been bugging her since the girl walked in the door.

"So that's my excuse for skipping class, what's yours?" she inquired knowingly. Matsumoto grinned at her, running a hand through her long locks and letting the breath whoosh from her lungs.

"I've just been having issues concentrating lately," she responded. "Today I just gave up trying." Hinamori raised an eyebrow, wondering if her friends recent case of ADD had anything to do with their run in with Gin Ichimaru in Grey's the other day. She wasn't sure if it was her place to ask but if there was anything she could do to help she wouldn't hesitate to do so.

"Does it have anything to do with seeing Ichimaru at the restaurant?" she asked quietly. Rangiku hesitated before snorting and turning her gaze to the window.

"Probably," she mumbled, massaging her temples with the tips of her fingers. Another silence followed this comment before Momo asked cautiously:

"What exactly happened? You don't have to tell me but it might make you feel better and, somehow, I might be able to help." Rangiku laughed quietly, her eyes full of warmth as she fixed Momo with a grateful smile.

"Well there isn't much anyone can do to help with the situation, but I suppose it couldn't hurt to tell you. After all, you did tell me your biggest secret," she replied with a wink. Momo giggled nervously.

"Y-yeah," she replied, wondering how the topic had been pushed to that. Rangiku sighed again and the smile slowly melted off her face.

"We grew up together, Gin and I. His parents died when he was young and our neighbors took him in though they got along terribly, Gin even told me once that he hated them. Anyway one day some bullies from our neighborhood were picking on me and he showed up out of nowhere and scared them off. After that the two of us were together all the time. I don't know maybe we both just really needed a friend and happened to find each other at the right time, maybe it was just coincidence... So the years passed and as soon as he turned eighteen he moved out of his foster parents place and got his own apartment about ten minutes away from where he used to live. Right around that time he started getting into a lot of trouble with the cops and he wasn't doing so well in school. I tried to talk to him about it but he would always shove it off like it was nothing, hiding behind that stupid fake smile of his. He kept telling me that he was fine, that he would graduate and get a decent job so I wouldn't have to worry about him anymore…

In any case about halfway through that year I started to see less and less of him and the few times I would see him he never told me what he'd been up to or who he was hanging out with. I had my suspicions that it probably wasn't the best group of people ever but I didn't want to deal with the truth so I didn't do anything about it. Looking back on it now I wonder if I had confronted him about it if things would have turned out differently. Not long after that I was home alone because my parents were gone on a business trip and had left me in charge of the house. All the sudden I smelled smoke so I got up and ran around the house looking for the source of it. Not long after that I heard sirens and the next thing I knew there was a fire truck and an ambulance in front of my neighbors, Gin's foster parents', house.

I ran outside and saw smoke billowing from the roof as the left side of the house was completely engulfed in flames. A big crowd had gathered and I joined them, trying to find out what had happened to cause the fire. Nobody knew anything and I was just about to give up on finding information when my phone rang. I left the crowd and picked it up only to hear Gin on the other end. He asked if he could crash at my place that night because for whatever reason he couldn't go back to his apartment. I said he could and immediately headed back to my house. It didn't take long for him to get there and for some reason he was sweating and really out of breath though he wouldn't tell me anything about it, only asked if he could take a shower. When he got out I was determined to drill him with questions as to what in the world was going on and to yell at him for walking around my house without his shirt on but all he told me was that he was going to bed and immediately crashed on the couch.

I guess the nights events had worn me out because I went to bed pretty shortly after he did, falling asleep almost instantly…" There was a pause as Rangiku closed her mouth for a moment, cutting off the story as her eyes took on a distant look. Momo waited patiently, knowing she would continue when she was ready to.

"He ended up coming into my bed that night and sleeping with me, not SLEEPING sleeping with me!" Rangiku quickly corrected as Momo's face had turned a brilliant shade of fuchsia. "But he had never done that before… He held me that night as I slept with his arms wrapped around my waist and his face buried in my shoulder. I didn't want him to let go, I didn't want him to leave…" she murmured and Momo bit her lip as she saw the raw pain reflected in her friends eyes.

"When I woke up the next morning he was gone. I don't know where he went, I don't know what he was planning to do, all he did was leave a stupid note that said _thank you_. I got up, searching the entire house for him but he was long gone. When I walked past the bathroom I saw his shirt still lying on the floor from where he'd left it and when I went to pick it up, the first thing I noticed was how strongly it smelled of smoke… They never found the cause of the fire at my neighbor's house but after that night I never saw Gin again…" A strong silence followed this comment as Momo processed the incredible depth of what Rangiku had just told her. Who would have thought that such an incredible history lay between her friend and assistant English teacher?

"So when you saw him at Grey's…" Momo began, trailing off and fixing Rangiku with a questioning look.

"It was the first time I'd seen him since that night," the other finished. "He must be doing something right in order to have the job he does now. I guess I'm thankful to Aizen for putting up with him." Momo nodded her head, wondering how in the world the other girl had reacted so calmly the other day, managing to keep herself from marching up and smacking him in the face.

"And Hisagi and Hitsugaya know about this?" Hinamori asked. Matsumoto nodded slowly.

"I've known Hisagi nearly as long as I've known Gin. He's closer to my age and I don't know if he ever really approved of the friendship I had with Gin, but he was there through it all. Ironically enough he was the one who comforted me after that idiot disappeared and he never once told me 'I told you so.' I really owe him for that as he had every right to…" she said.

"And Hitsugaya?" Momo prompted, hoping she didn't sound to nosy though her curiosity didn't allow her to say anything otherwise. Rangiku smiled, shrugging her shoulders lightly.

"I didn't know him as long as I knew Hisagi but I met him shortly after Gin left. We're complete opposites and I know I drive him crazy more than half the time, but we clicked really well. One day I just found the whole story spilling out, kind of like today," she said with a smile. "He may not look it, but Toshiro has a much bigger heart than he lets on." Momo grinned, nodding her head in agreement.

"I know," she replied, her cheeks heating up ever so slightly as she remembered the night of the thunderstorm when he had comforted her. Matsumoto raised an inquiring eyebrow though was cut off as Urahara chose that moment to come over with a steaming cup of coffee and a large cinnamon roll dripping with frosting and smelling like heaven.

"The usual," Urahara said with a smile as he placed the dish in front of the girl. Rangiku's face split into a large smile and she immediately grabbed the fork he had provided and slammed it into the pastry.

"Thank you!" she mumbled through a mouthful of roll. Urahara grinned before placing a mug of hot chocolate down in front of Momo, complete with a swirl of whipped cream on top. The girl glanced up at him, confusion reflected in her eyes.

"That one's on the house," Urahara told her with a wink. "Enjoy!"

"Thank you so much!" Momo exclaimed, her eyes sparkling. The man merely chuckled before turning and heading back towards the kitchen. Hinamori lifted the steaming mug to her lips and took a sip of the scrumptious drink, her taste buds screaming their approval as what felt like liquid chocolate made its way down her throat. Setting the glass down she looked at Matsumoto in amusement as the girl made quick work of the monstrous roll in front of her.

"How can you eat that so fast?" she asked, her eyebrows disappearing into her bangs. Rangiku grinned, winking at her as she responded:

"All the calories go to my boobs so it's no problem." Momo laughed along with her before turning back to her cocoa.

…………

Not too long afterwards the girls decided it would probably be a good time to leave, Momo so she could get back to the room before Hitsugaya returned and Rangiku because she figured it would probably be a good idea to catch at least one class that day. Matsumoto hesitated as the girls reached the door before leaning down and smothering Momo in a giant bear hug that only Matsumoto was capable of.

"Thank you," she said quietly before releasing her and stepping out the door. Momo grinned, following the girl back outside.

"Anytime," she replied, glad that she was able to help if even just a little bit.

…………

Yoruichi stared thoughtfully out the window from where she had been sitting unnoticed in the booth directly behind the one Momo and Rangiku had recently occupied, her mind swimming with everything she had just overheard. Things were definitely getting interesting around here and she couldn't help but wonder how much longer it would be until matters spun out of control entirely. Sighing she stood, exiting the booth and making her way back behind the counter. Kisuke was bound to be interested in just what it was she had to tell him.

……………

**Alright raise your hand if you want to kill me… *All reviewers promptly raise their hands* I'm really really sorry guys. I've already got messages from some of you asking when in the world my next chapter was coming out and here it finally is. Unfortunately for me, and all of you, this is my finals week which means I have so much studying, final projects, and final papers to get accomplished during the month of November hence the HUUUGE lack of update. Well anyway I hope this chapter made you guys happy and seeing how I go home on Wednesday for a 5 WEEK AND 2 DAY LONG BREAK, the updates will be much faster! Thank you so much for all of your patience, I still love you guys even if you hate me xD. Don't forget to check out the new fan art!**

**~Phoenix **


	22. Nightmare

**A/N: Hey everybody! Sorry this was delayed a bit. I had the biggest writers block for the longest time so much thanks to StarKidPotterFan for helping with inspiration! This chapter is dedicated to you. Any Renji/Rukia fans out there feel free to check out her one shot 'Would You Like To Dance' which is super awesome and really cute! Thanks! **

**NEW FANART UP!**** Pungky08 drew a really cool picture of Hitsugaya and Hinamori from my fic, check it out! The link is in my profile as usual! :D**

…………

Momo shivered and pulled her navy blue jacket a little closer around her shoulders in an attempt to keep the chilling breeze at bay. It seemed like only yesterday that she'd had to watch out for sunburn and now she was wishing she'd thought to bring a pair of mittens or a warm hat at least.

The day had dragged by once she had returned from Urahara's as without much else to do she had resorted to studying. Hitsugaya had showed up after classes were out and she couldn't help but notice the slightly relieved expression on his face once he saw she was still in the room, thus strengthening her resolve not to tell him about her little adventure earlier that afternoon. Not long after that the two had headed off to practice though Momo had to leave her cleats and shorts behind.

So here she was, sitting along the sideline watching the rest of her team run laps around the field while feeling totally and completely useless. She knew it wasn't her fault that she had been attacked yet at the same time she wished there was something else she could do aside from observe everyone else being active. Her pout widened and she was unable to prevent the sigh that escaped from her lips as she watched them split up into groups for drills.

"Relax, you can practice soon." Momo jumped and whirled around to see Kyoraku standing beside her though when the coach had approached, the girl had no idea.

"R-right," she responded, dropping her gaze and staring at the ground. The man next to her chuckled, obviously not buying her less than convincing tone.

"I'd rather have you rest now and play later than do permanent damage," he said quietly. Momo glanced up at him, startled at the kind smile on his face. Unable to help herself she smiled back, suddenly not feeling quite as pathetic as before.

"Besides," Kyoraku continued with a yawn. "It's much more relaxing to stand here and do nothing than be out there on the field running around like a chicken with its head cut off." Momo's eyebrows disappeared into her bangs as she gaped up at the long haired man beside her. Not for the first time she found herself wondering why in the world he of all people had ended up as the coach for Ryouta's renowned soccer team.

She had barely begun to analyze this mystery when the sound of footsteps behind her caught her attention and she turned to see four unfamiliar people making their way towards them.

The first was an incredibly skinny girl with green hair chopped to her chin, large pouting pink lips, and wide innocent looking eyes. She was walking beside a rather muscular young man with short cropped silver hair and narrowed eyes while a rather intimidating scowl curled across his lips. The third was a short girl with two pigtails jutting messily from the sides of her head, her eyebrows furrowed and her mouth folded up into a dangerous looking sneer. The last was a lanky looking guy with a rather lopsided beret sitting atop chin length blonde hair and Momo could just make out the slightest traces of a smile dancing across his face.

"Who…?" she trailed off as Kyoraku glanced up to see what had caught his player's eye, a large grin immediately spreading over his lips.

"Well look who it is," he drawled, raising a hand in greeting. The kid with the beret responded with a slight wave of his own, the grin on his face widening while the green haired girl waved ecstatically, hopping from one foot to another and nearly whacking the silver haired kid in the head. Fortunately for him he ducked out of the way just in time, grabbing the girls wrist before it could happen again.

"Cut that out," he hissed, shooting her a glare before returning his attention to Kyoraku. The girl pouted but did as she was told, jerking her hand out of the young man's grasp before sticking her tongue out at him.

"So, Hisagi gave you a call after all hmm?" Kyoraku asked as soon as they'd arrived. The short girl snorted.

"Why the hell else would we be here?" she snapped, glaring up at Ryouta's coach. The man shrugged, smiling weakly.

"I don't know, maybe because you like me?" he responded.

"I like you!" Green hair chirped, grinning widely. "Hiyori's just a meanie!"

"Shut up!" the blonde, Hiyori, snapped, taking a swing at the other girl who ducked swiftly out of the way, giggling in amusement.

"Where's Hisagi?" the silver haired boy asked, pointedly ignoring his bickering companions. Kyoraku pointed a finger in the direction of the field to where the dark haired captain was leading warm ups.

"Over there. Feel free to whip these guys into shape," he responded evenly. A slightly evil grin seemed to spread over the four's faces and Momo suddenly felt more than a little bit nervous for her teammates.

"Will do," beret murmured before the group turned and headed onto the field, the green haired girl giving Hinamori a bright smile and a wave before skipping after her companions. Momo waited a minute until she was sure they were out of earshot before turning to her coach.

"So, who exactly were those people?" she asked quietly. Kyoraku glanced down at her, a rather fond smile on his lips.

"Kensei, the one with the silver hair and permanent scowl, is a good friend and role model of Hisagi's. He's a phenomenal soccer player who graduated from Ryouta about two years ago. Shinji was an old student as well who shows up alongside Kensei every once in awhile to help out with the team. As for the other two… apparently they're also exceptional soccer players who just happen to be "close friends" with those two boys. The blonde is Hiyori and the bubbly one is Mashiro," he explained, using his fingers to make quotation marks around the words.

"O-oh," Momo replied, blushing a little at the implication. She glanced over to where the four were now being greeted by Hisagi and wondered how that could even be possible with the way they seemed to get along. Oh well, there were stranger things in this world; a girl dressing up as a guy one key example. It was bound to be an interesting practice after all…

……………

Not for the first time that practice did Hitsugaya find his eyes straying over to where his roommate was standing along the sidelines beside their coach and he couldn't help but feel the need to march over there and demand she at least sit down. The girl had a concussion for heavens sake and technically shouldn't even be anywhere near the soccer field.

"Pay attention!" the blonde midget snapped in annoyance as his kick went a little wide.

"Sorry," he mumbled to her retreating back as she went to retrieve the ball. How he had ended up with the blonde haired, tracksuit wearing devil was a mystery to him as when Hisagi had ordered the team to branch off into pairs to work on passing she had definitely not been his first choice. Regardless of how this had happened he could no longer do anything about it and therefore it would be pointless and nonproductive to complain.

The boy stopped the ball as she sent it flying his way, getting it under control with the bottom of his foot before sending it back in her direction and once again sneaking a glance at Hinamori. He thought he saw her drop her gaze rapidly and he couldn't help but wonder if she had been looking at him. Not that he would care if she had been, it was just an interesting observation. Maybe he could talk to Kyoraku later about convincing her to at least sit if she was going to watch practice…

"HEY BALDY! HEADS UP!" Hitsugaya turned in time to be nailed in the head with a high powered soccer ball, knocking him clean off his feet and onto the unforgiving ground beneath him.

"What the hell?" he snarled, glaring angrily up at the girl and rubbing his head painfully.

"How many times do I have to tell you to pay attention!?" she snapped, crossing her arms over her chest and shooting him with a look every bit as withering as his own.

"I am paying attention!" he responded, getting to his feet and brushing the grass and dirt off of him.

"Then why are your eyes practically glued to the sideline? Your partner's over here, stupid," Hiyori retorted. Hitsugaya felt his face heat up a bit at her mention of where exactly his attention was drawn to. The last thing he needed was for his teammates to notice just how concerned he was about his roommate's wellbeing as them doing so would cause problems not only for him, but Hinamori as well.

"I don't know what you're talking about," he muttered.

"Hurry up and kick the ball back shorty!" she shouted, entirely ignoring his previous comment. That struck a nerve.

"You're shorter than me!" he retorted, firing a kick of his own off in her direction.

"What kind of wimpy kick was that? Come on put some muscle into it!" she yelled, clearly trying to press his buttons as she rocketed the ball back towards him. Hitsugaya stopped it with his knee, practically seeing red at this point.

"Will you just shut up!" he shouted, bringing his foot back and launching the ball at her in a power kick that would have put the world's top players to shame. Hiyori's lips folded into a smirk as she ducked out of the way, letting the practically flaming ball fly past her and instead hit Shinji in the back of the skull, sending the beret flying off his head and onto the muddy ground.

"Wh-what the…?" he spluttered, stumbling forward and clutching his head painfully.

"Learn how to duck in time idiot," Hiyori snapped, giving the unfortunate young man a whack to the head that sent him tumbling the rest of the way onto the grass. Fortunately for Shinji, Hisagi chose that time to blow the whistle, calling the drill to an end, thus drawing Hiyori's attention from the whimpering man on the ground.

Hitsugaya let a sigh escape his lips as he picked the ball up and tucked it underneath his arm and, after making sure Hiyori's eyes weren't on him, glanced over in Hinamori's direction. Much to his relief she was finally sitting down, and, not surprisingly, Kyoraku had decided to sit down beside her. She seemed to feel his eyes on her for all at once her gaze rose up to meet his and there was a slight pause before she smiled and waved, catching the boy off guard. Shaking his head he hurried over to the huddle.

……………

Practice went by relatively quickly for Momo despite the fact that she was only observing. She was glad to see that her roommate avoided any further whacks to the head following that first incident, though she did notice that he seemed to be doing his best to keep his distance from the short blonde whenever possible. Not that she blamed him; the girl was more than a little bit intimidating.

Before she knew it, Hisagi was blowing the whistle calling an end to practice and the team took their usual warm down lap around the field. She stifled a yawn and got carefully to her feet, ignoring the slight pulsing of her head as she did so. It wasn't long before she was swarmed with teammates grabbing water bottles, duffle bags and extra jerseys and she couldn't help but look for a familiar head of white hair amidst the chaos.

"Yo, Hinamori!" Momo glanced up in time to have an arm suddenly swung around her shoulders and she was engulfed in the fresh scent of just exercised teenage boy.

"H-hey Renji," she stuttered, grinning weakly up at him.

"How's the head?" he asked her curiously. She shrugged as best she was able with his arm around her shoulders.

"Alright," was the response.

"Stop acting like such an idiot, you're going to make his injuries worse." Momo glanced over to see Ichigo walking towards them and fixing the redhead with an exasperated look. Renji snorted but removed his arm nonetheless.

"Since when have you cared about stuff like that?" he inquired, giving the strawberry a light shove.

"Shut up. My dad's a doctor so I actually kind of know what I'm talking about," Ichigo replied, punching Renji none to lightly in the shoulder.

"Hey Hinamori. So you show your ugly mug after all huh?" This was Ikkaku, complete with a slightly painful punch to the back, causing her to stumble forward a few paces. Why in the world did boys have to be so violently affectionate?

"Yeah well, I'm part of the team so I figured…" she replied weakly.

"What a beautiful display of dedication." Yumichika had shown up as well.

"So, you guys excited for this weekend?" Renji asked, abruptly changing the subject.

"Naturally," Yumichika responded, flicking his hair behind his ear.

"I hear some of the girls from Kaito will be there too which will make it even better!" said a drooling Keigo who'd happened to make his way over as well.

"Does that mean Rangiku's coming?" Ikkaku asked, a sly grin spreading over his lips.

"Don't even think about peeking." Momo glanced over to see that Hitsugaya had finally shown up and was now glaring daggers at his bald headed teammate.

"You're no fun," Ikkaku shot back. Hitsugaya shrugged, leaning down to pick up his duffel bag.

"You can if you want to but she'll kill you," he retorted dryly.

"Um…" Momo began, not entirely sure what everyone was talking about all of the sudden.

"Huh? What's up Hinamori?" Renji asked, slinging his arm around her shoulders again.

"What are you all talking about?" she asked. "What exactly is going on this weekend?" There was a pause as all her teammates stared at her before a light bulb seemed to go off in their minds.

"Right, you wouldn't know," Ichigo began. "Every year the soccer team goes on a trip early on in the season as a kind of team bonding experience or something. Anyway this year Hisagi got us booked at some hot spring and we're all heading out there this weekend. You'll be well enough to come right?" Momo barely heard the question as her brain had stopped functioning after the words hot spring. There was no way she'd be able to pull off a trip like that safely.

"U-uh, I'll have to ask Unohana…" she replied weakly, not wanting to give a definite answer.

"Already taken care of," said a new voice from somewhere behind her. Turning she saw that Hisagi had excused himself from Kensei's group and was now making his way over to them, apparently having overheard the last part of the conversation.

"What do you mean?" Momo asked, a definite feeling of unease already beginning to stir in her gut.

"I was worried that with your concussion you wouldn't be able to go with us this weekend and so I checked with Unohana after classes were out today. She said that as long as you got plenty of rest this week you should be good to go," Hisagi told her, clearly expecting a favorable reaction. Momo, however, wasn't exactly sure how she was supposed to respond. There was no way she would be able to attend something like that because of the situation she was currently in yet at the same time there was no way she could refuse. There really was only one action she could take at this point and that was to agree to go along and do her best to avoid going anywhere near the hot springs. Either that or make up some crazy excuse that no one would believe anyway. Sighing she smiled, doing her best to make it look legit as she replied: "Sounds great!" pointedly ignoring the 'are you crazy' look that Hitsugaya sent her way.

"Great," Hisagi responded. "Try to keep yourself in one piece until then at least." Momo laughed, and nodded.

"I'll do my best," she replied.

"Come on, lets go," Hitsugaya muttered, turning and heading back in the direction of the dorm. Momo waved over her shoulder before heading after her roommate, a little confused at his sullen mood.

"What's wrong?" she inquired, once they were out of earshot of their teammates.

"Have you lost your mind?" the boy asked, rounding on her with narrowed eyes.

"What are you talking about?" Momo retorted, fixing him with a questioning look.

"You can't go to a hot spring!" the boy exclaimed. Hinamori scowled.

"I know, but I can't tell them that. What would you have me say: 'Oh sorry everyone, I can't go because I'm allergic to hot spring water?' You really think they would have believed that?" she snapped in response. Toshiro scowled.

"Either way they're going to be suspicious when you don't come into the baths," he replied. Momo shrugged.

"I'll just tell them that my head is bothering me and I'm going to go take a nap or something. If its for injury purposes they should leave me alone about it," she answered.

"Maybe," her roommate muttered. "It might just make them more annoying." Hinamori shrugged before fixing him with her most winning smile.

"Well either way you'll have my back won't you?" she asked. Hitsugaya's blush went unnoticed by the girl as she had once again focused her attention forward towards the dorm.

"Of course, you idiot," he muttered.

"Hm?" Momo asked, clearly having missed his comment. The boy shook his head.

"Nothing. Hurry up, you're walking too slow," he responded bluntly. Momo giggled before quickening her pace, once more falling into step beside him.

……………

_His room was dark, the only light issuing in from the tiny crack below the door where his mother was probably still up reading. For whatever reason sleep wouldn't come to him that night despite the fact that his mattress was soft and his pillow filled with the comfort of a thousand feathers. It was raining, the gentle pitter patter of the raindrops making quiet plinking sounds as they dripped onto the roof before rolling off and plunging to the grass far below. He stifled a yawn, rolling over and reaching for the stuffed blue dragon laying a few feet away, wrapping his fingers around it before pulling it close to his chest and closing his eyes, once more trying to find sleep. _

_The sound of footsteps reached his ears and he heard the slight creak of his door opening as his mother stepped into the room, walking over to his bedside and staring down at him. Ever so gently she reached out, running a hand through his snowy locks before leaning down and placing a light kiss on his temple, exiting the room the same way she had walked in. He smiled, snuggling deeper into his blankets and hugging the dragon closer to his chest. _

_All at once he heard the sound of someone pounding on the front door, followed by his mothers footsteps as she made her way towards the entry way. Confused, he opened one eye, staring at his closed door in confusion as an uneasiness he couldn't explain began to stir in his gut. There was the sound of the door opening, followed by loud, unfamiliar voices and his mother trying to shush the strangers, clearly weary of her son sleeping upstairs. Suddenly everything went very quiet. _

_Curious, he slipped out of bed, carefully reaching up towards his door and opening it before sliding out and padding silently down the hall towards the stairs. Peeking around the corner he stared down to where his mother was standing in the front door, talking to a man with a tall build and a blurry face. He couldn't make out what was being said but something in his mother's expression proved she wasn't happy. He was about to take a step forward when all at once the man pulled out a gun, pointing it at the woman in front of him, his finger on the trigger, an evil sneer on his face. _

Toshiro woke with a start, sitting bolt upright in bed, his eyes flying around the room. It took him a moment to remember that he was sitting safely in his dorm room without any crazy armed man attempting to hunt him down. Letting the breath whoosh from his lungs he cradled his head in his hands, running his fingers through his hair and closing his eyes against the images burned into his mind. Even after all this time he still couldn't forget…

Taking deep breaths to slow his pounding heart he wiped a bead of sweat from his forehead and glanced over to where his roommate was lying in bed, nearly jumping a foot in the air when he saw her eyes were wide open, studying him concernedly.

"Are you okay?" she whispered. He nodded, immediately straightening up and wiping the weary expression off his face.

"What are you doing up?" he asked her. She sat up, her brown eyes still refusing to leave his face.

"You were moaning in your sleep. Were you having a nightmare?" she inquired cautiously. He hesitated, figuring it would be of no use to lie to her.

"Yeah," he responded shortly. There was a pause before she suddenly slid off her bed, walking quietly across the floor before sitting down on the bed beside him, her large eyes locked into his.

"They say its good luck to tell someone about a nightmare. Maybe if you tell me it won't come back," she said to him.

"It'll come back," he mumbled, his mind not processing the words coming out of his mouth.

"You've had it before?" she asked quietly. A short nod was her only answer. Momo sighed, biting her lip as she wondered what in the world she was supposed to do in this situation. His face was stony, his eyes dull, a sure sign that whatever he'd dreamt about had really bothered him. Ever so carefully she reached out for him, wrapping her arms around his neck and resting her head on his shoulder. Closing her eyes she whispered,

"You don't have to tell me about it but I'm always right here if you want to talk." The boy stiffened, not reaching out to hug her back but not pushing her away either. Momo sighed, about to let go when all at once she felt the slightest of weights against the top of her head and realized that Toshiro had rested his head against her own, his eyes closed peacefully.

"Thank you," he whispered. Momo didn't reply, instead merely smiling and tightening her grip on his shoulders, glad that she wasn't completely useless after all.

…………

**Alright there's some fluff for you guys! Sorry this chapter was a bit late as well but I hope that you enjoyed it. FOR ANY ONE PIECE FANS OUT THERE! I wrote a one shot entitled 'For Our Sake' which centers around Nami and Zoro. It basically can be seen as romance or nakamaship, whatever you prefer. In any case thanks so much for reading, please leave me your thoughts! Much love!**

**~Phoenix**


	23. Day One

A/N: Hey everybody! Guess who just got her wisdom teeth pulled? Yup that would be me… So basically I'm typing with an exceedingly sore, not to mention rather puffy, mouth. But anyway, it is still my duty to write despite the gaping holes in my mouth (TMI I know, sorry). So with out further ado…

NEW FANART UP! Fr0zenn drew a sweet picture of Hitsugaya and Hinamori after they both fell into the lake a couple chapters back. Its cute, check it out!!!

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Momo's week passed in a flurry of Tylenol, ice packs, extra long naps, and consistent check ups by her friends, all of whom seemed anxious to see her back at one hundred percent. Upon talking to Kira she was surprised to hear that he had no recollection of running into her and the others the evening she had been attacked, the blonde insisting that soccer practice had been the first he had heard of it. The more she pestered him the more flustered the boy seemed to become and it wasn't long before she decided to drop the subject entirely. Her teammate had probably just spent one too many hours studying in the library which would account for his zombie-like behavior of the other night.

Despite her misgivings about the upcoming weekend, Momo couldn't help but catch a bit of her teammates contagious excitement and as the time for departure drew closer, she found herself eagerly anticipating what would hopefully be an event filled weekend. They would be taking a large coach bus up to the site and then be released into the general public of the place, hopefully without too many incidents.

And so it was that Momo found herself once more hefting her trusty duffel bag over her shoulder on that Friday afternoon after classes were dismissed and following behind Hitsugaya into the large parking lot where their transportation was awaiting them. Several of their teammates were there already, most of them shoving their baggage into the compartments below the bus while others were enjoying their last minutes of fresh air before being stuffed in a vehicle for three hours. Ichigo and Renji, Momo noticed, were part of the later group as the two were kicking a soccer ball around and purposefully keeping it away from Keigo who kept trying to get his foot in the way.

Kyoraku and Nanao were standing a few feet to their left, the woman holding a clipboard in her hand, scanning her eyes over the teenage boys and making little check marks on the sheet to mark them present. Upon catching Momo's eye a small smile graced her lips and another check was made before she shoved the clipboard into Kyoraku's arms and made her way over.

"Hinamori, how are you feeling?" she asked, her tone as brisk and to the point as always. Momo gave her what she hoped was a reassuring smile as Hitsugaya grabbed the bag from her shoulder and threw it unceremoniously under the bus.

"G-good," she responded, shooting her roommate a glare at his rough treatment of her personal belongings. "I feel much better than I did earlier." The assistant coach returned her smile before glancing down at the watch on her wrist.

"Well that's good to hear. It's about time everyone got onto the bus, we're only waiting for Aizen and Ichimaru," she said. Momo blinked while Hitsugaya froze next to her, his eyes narrowing dangerously.

"What, why are they coming?" he snapped, not bothering to hide the disgust in his voice. Nanao glanced down at him, a small frown overtaking her features.

"Well Ukitake was originally going to come along as the third supervisor but his illness was acting up again and he had to withdraw his attendance. Fortunately Aizen was quick to step up to the plate and apparently Ichimaru felt the need to accompany him," she responded. Hitsugaya however, barely seemed to pay this comment any mind.

"Is Ukitake alright? Was it another attack? How bad-"

"Calm down Toshiro; no one can understand you when you're talking that fast." Hitsugaya shut his mouth and glanced up towards Kyoraku who had suddenly joined the conversation, his trademark grin already folded in place across his lips. "You can relax, it wasn't nearly as bad as my cute little Nanao made it out to be." Nanao scowled and crossed her arms over her chest, fixing the soccer coach with a glare that blatantly portrayed her disapproval at being called cute and little.

Momo watched as Toshiro let the breath whoosh from his lungs, noticing the way his eyes danced with worry and another emotion that looked a lot like irritation though she had no idea what was the source of it.

"But enough about that. All you have to worry about this weekend is having as much fun as possible so don't let me catch you doing otherwise," Kyoraku told them lightheartedly before giving Hitsugaya a light shove in the bus's general direction.

"Thanks, we'll do that," Momo responded seeing how her roommate had failed to acknowledge their coaches comment, instead proceeding onto the bus without a backwards glance. She followed him down the aisle of the bus and sat next to him as he filed into a window seat near the back, immediately reaching into his pocket for a light blue I-pod complete with headphones.

"Is there something wrong with Ukitake?" she asked quietly before he could get the headphones into his ears and thus tune her out entirely. The boy shrugged.

"He gets sick a lot. I wouldn't worry too much about it," he answered shortly. Momo frowned.

"But you're worried," she replied. Toshiro however had donned his headphones and did not respond. Sighing Momo glanced out the window and was startled to see a very cheery looking Rangiku making her way across the parking lot, flanked on either side by Orihime and Rukia, both of whom were looking more than a bit uncomfortable. Frowning she stood, sliding down the aisle before hopping off the bus and narrowly avoiding Nanao who had just gone to sit down. As soon as she saw her, Rangiku's grin widened and she waved dramatically, causing Rukia to duck out of the way in order to avoid being whacked on the head.

"What the hell are they doing here?" Hinamori turned to see that Ichigo and Renji had ceased kicking the soccer ball around and were now staring at the trio making their way over, obviously just as clueless about their intentions as Momo was.

"They're coming on the bus with us." Momo jumped and whirled around to see that Hisagi had somehow managed to creep up behind her while she wasn't looking and was now fixing Rangiku and the others with a half amused, half exasperated look.

"Since when?" Renji spluttered, his chin practically hitting the concrete. The soccer captain shrugged.

"The Kaito van was a little overcrowded so Rangiku volunteered them to come with us seeing how we had extra room. Kyoraku didn't seem to mind so here they are," he replied matter of factly. Ichigo snorted, tossing the soccer ball from one hand to another.

"You think they would have told us," he muttered. Momo frowned.

"Is it really that much of a problem that they're coming?" she inquired, glancing from one teammate to another. Ichigo shook his head.

"Nah, probably will wind up being more of a headache this way though," he answered dryly.

"How's that?" Momo asked innocently, peering back at the three girls and returning Rangiku's over exuberant waves.

"You'll see," Renji replied helpfully, shoving his hands into his pockets and giving her a lopsided grin.

"Does Rangiku know Ichimaru's coming?" Hisagi asked quietly, his eyes trained steadily on the ginger haired girl's face. Hinamori froze before her gaze slowly wandered up to meet the soccer captain's, a whole new weight suddenly falling onto her shoulders.

"Probably not," she muttered. Hisagi sighed, massaging his temples for the briefest of moments before letting the breath whoosh from his lungs in a defeated sigh.

"Knowing her she won't let it bother her that much. Come on, let's at least go say hi," he said.

As soon as she was within arm's reach Momo found herself enveloped in a massive Rangiku hug which she wearily returned, doing her best to breathe despite the rather squished situation she found herself in.

"Three hour road trip!" Matsumoto said excitedly, keeping one arm slung around Hinamori's shoulders while grinning at the other boys, a gesture they did their best to return. Renji rested his elbow on top of Rukia's head, smirking down at her despite the girl's obvious protests.

"You sure they allow midgets on the bus?" he asked. Ichigo grinned.

"I dunno, I'll check the height requirement," he responded. Rukia glowered at them, aiming a punch at Renji's stomach that would have made quite the impact had he not jumped back just in time.

"You better not fall asleep," she grumbled, causing Renji to chuckle nervously while Ichigo merely shrugged and shoved his hands into his pockets.

"Not even at the hot spring yet and you're already having fun." Momo glanced up at the familiar voice and immediately felt her cheeks flush, the usual reaction to the presence of her English teacher. The man's eyes met her own and he smiled warmly at her, causing her heart to skip a few beats in her chest.

"Aizen, Ichimaru!" Renji exclaimed, looking up from where Rukia was attempting to put him in a headlock and smiled brightly. At the mention of the student teacher's name Hinamori immediately shot a glance towards Matsumoto who was talking animatedly to Orihime, clearly doing her best to pretend the silver haired man wasn't there at all.

"We should get on the bus before Nanao chews us all out," Hisagi said rapidly, clearly just as aware of the awkwardness of the situation as Hinamori was.

"Right!" Momo agreed, quickly picking up where he left off. "Come on Rangiku! Party on the bus okay?" she suggested brightly. Matsumoto smiled in response though Hinamori immediately noticed the gesture wasn't completely genuine.

"Of course!" she agreed, turning her back on the two new arrivals without another word. If Ichimaru noticed her behavior he did nothing about it, instead being content to drop his bags beneath the bus before making his way onto the vehicle after Aizen.

The seven moved towards the back, doing their best to dodge toes and randomly strewn obstacles like carry on bags and pillows that were already scattered in the aisle. Hitsugaya was still listening to his I-pod and Rangiku wasted no time filling the seat next to him, already yanking on his headphones in a way she knew he wouldn't put up with for long. Rukia and Orihime sat in the seat across from Rangiku's while Renji and Ichigo yanked the free ones behind them leaving Momo to sit next to Hisagi across the way from the strawberry and the pineapple.

"Matsumoto! Dammit cut it out!" Apparently Hitsugaya had already reached breaking point with the earphone tugging and was now glaring bloody murder at the ginger haired girl. "Why the hell are you sitting by me?" Rangiku laughed, poking him in the chest.

"To keep you from being boring the entirety of this trip. Come on, the bus ride is half the fun!" she told him with a pout.

"No it's not," Hitsugaya responded shortly, going to put his earphones back in but once again being thwarted by Matsumoto as she pulled his arm down. Momo bit her lip, unsure whether or not she should intervene when Hisagi spoke up beside her.

"I wouldn't worry about it. They're always like this," he said to her. Hinamori nodded slowly before leaning back in her seat and preparing herself for what was bound to be a long bus ride.

…………

The first hour of the trip flew by as Hinamori did her best to keep Hitsugaya from strangling Matsumoto where she sat while Renji and Ichigo merely looked on and laughed. The second hour was quieter as everyone started dozing off having been lulled to sleep by the monotonous feel of wheels on pavement and the unchanging scenery stretching on for miles in all directions. Glancing over at her roommate Hinamori watched him as he stared out the window, his turquoise eyes unfocused as he peered out over the landscape flying past them.

Frowning her eyes drifted to where Matsumoto had fallen asleep beside him, her head resting on his shoulder and her eyes closed peacefully. Momo swallowed and averted her gaze, clenching her small hands in her lap. A strange feeling curdled in her stomach when she saw the two of them together like that, a rather unpleasant feeling that she'd rather have nothing to do with. They were just friends, she knew this, so why in the world did it bother her that Hitsugaya was making no move to push the other girl off him?

Shaking her head she pushed such thoughts from her head, mentally scolding herself for thinking them in the first place. Ichimaru suddenly coming back into Rangiku's life clearly wasn't making things easy on her so Hinamori should be happy her friend could relax like this… She just wished she could relax on someone else.

"What, no!" Momo squeaked, covering her face with her hands and earning her a strange look from her seat partner. Blushing furiously she avoided Hisagi's eye and instead slouched further into her seat, blocking Hitsugaya and Matsumoto from view. Now, more than ever, she needed to get off the bus.

…………

"Hinamori, wake the hell up!" Momo's eyes flew open as something soft and fluffy hit her in the face, jerking her unpleasantly from dream world and back to reality.

"Wh-what?" she mumbled, shoving the pillow into the aisle and glancing around groggily.

"We're here!" a second voice sang, causing Momo to jerk completely out of her stupor and stare excitedly out the window.

A white building with a chocolate covered roof rose before them, its large front doors thrown open in anticipation for their arrival. Whitewashed walls kept the rest of the hot springs from view but Momo could just make out the slightest hint of steam rising into air before disappearing into the darkening sky. With a sigh she stood, knowing she wouldn't be able to go in anyway. Despite this rather sobering fact she followed Renji off the bus and took a moment to grab her bag before trailing along behind her teammates through the front doors and into the building's lobby area.

"Alright everyone gather around! I'm going to give you your room assignments!" Hisagi shouted over the chattering players, giving them a moment to quiet down before he started speaking. The rooms were large and held about six people each, a fact Momo found more than a little disconcerting. It had been hard enough keeping her secret from one roommate, now she'd have to keep it from five for a whole weekend. Four if Hitsugaya was one of her roommates, not that she cared if he was or not, it'd just be one less person to worry about.

Shaking her head she tuned back in to the names Hisagi was calling off though got distracted again upon seeing Rukia, Orihime, and Rangiku wave to the group before heading down one of the hallways leading to the guest rooms. She'd almost forgotten that the girls had come with a different school and it only made sense that they would meet up with them upon arrival. Oh well, she had a feeling she'd see the three again soon.

"Room 114, Hitsugaya, Abarai, Kurosaki, Chad, Kira, and Hinamori. Here are three room keys, don't lose them," Hisagi said shortly, handing the small packet to Ichigo before turning back to his list. Momo followed after the others as they headed down a left hallway, glancing around excitedly. A wonderful aroma was wafting from somewhere behind closed doors, causing her stomach to grumble in an annoying reminder of how hungry she was.

"Don't worry, we'll eat soon," someone said with a slight chuckle. Hinamori glanced up to see Kira smiling down at her, obviously having picked up on the clues her stomach was attempting to send to her brain. She laughed sheepishly before shrugging her bag a little further onto her shoulder in an attempt to keep it from sliding off.

"We're all eating together?" she asked. Kira nodded, a grin splitting across his face.

"Yeah that's the original plan. I think they have a room set up for us so hopefully it won't get demolished or anything…" he said nervously. Hinamori laughed, knowing the blonde had full reason to be afraid. At this point she wouldn't put much of anything past some of her teammates so hopefully the more sane ones could keep the others in line.

"Alright idiots, we're here!" Renji's voice rang out from somewhere in front of the group and Momo glanced up in time to see their door slide open, revealing the contents of their room. It was large and very spacious, complete with a walk out porch leading into a huge rock garden complete with a fountain and tiny stream. A pleasant arrangement of potted plants was set in one corner of the room, many of them blossoming with beautiful pink and yellow buds that made Momo want to go over and smell them. Obviously she didn't as real boys didn't do anything so sissy as smell flowers…

Six cots with comfortable looking blankets folded neatly on top were set in the center of the room, each spaced about a foot apart. Ichigo, Hinamori noticed, immediately grabbed one and pulled it as far away from the others as he could get while Renji was quick to follow his example. Momo nearly rolled her eyes in exasperation. She had forgotten that boys tended to have a phobia of sleeping anywhere close to another male, therefore the cots must be separated. Not wanting to seem out of place she grabbed a cot of her own and slid it away from the others, setting it close to the mouth of the porch. Hitsugaya, she was secretly pleased to see, placed his own bed rather close to hers but not close enough to be considered unusual.

Kira glanced over from where he had set his mattress beside the door, a slight frown on his face as he watched Hitsugaya place himself a couple of feet from Hinamori's own bedroll, his stomach clenching uncomfortably in his stomach. Those two were already roommates for Pete's sake so it was only fair that Toshiro let someone else sleep near Hinamori for a change… The blonde immediately blanched, turning his face away from his two teammates and staring at his blankets in mortification. Who was he to care who Hinamori slept closer to? After all he was a guy and Hinamori was a guy too and because of that it was stupid to be thinking about dumb things like this. Obviously the only reason he was doing so was because his teammate was still recovering from the attack and he wanted to make sure he was close by in case the other boy needed help with anything. Really that was all, nothing else.

"Oi Kira, you awake over there?" Said boy glanced up to see Renji raising his eyebrows at him from across the room, obviously having noticed his friend's zoned out state and wanting to know the cause of it.

"Y-yeah!" the blonde responded instantly, shooting the tattooed boy what he hoped was a reassuring smile. "Just hungry is all."

"Then lets eat, I'm starving," Ichigo said, giving his blankets one last satisfactory tug before rising to his feet and heading towards the door. Chad grunted his agreement before following after the orange haired boy.

"H-hey, wait up!" Kira protested, hurrying out into the hall after them though not before shooting one last glance in Hinamori and Hitsugaya's direction. The two were talking quietly and Hinamori had just laughed at something the other had said, sending waves of jealously shooting through Kira like a hot knife. Scowling he turned away, shoving his hands into his pockets as he followed Ichigo and the others. So maybe he wasn't as good of friends with Hinamori as Hitsugaya was, the two were roommates after all. Yet even so he was determined to do his best to keep his smaller teammate out of trouble, even if it meant following him around all weekend long. Yeah, there was nothing weird about that at all, nothing wrong with being a concerned friend and ONLY a concerned friend.

With a satisfied nod, Kira quickened his pace, his growling stomach motivation enough to get to dinner as quickly as possible.

…………

Momo dug into her food with a vigor she didn't know she had, shoveling the meal into her mouth as though her life depended on it, an action that didn't go unnoticed by the boy sitting beside her.

"It's not going to go anywhere you know," Hitsugaya told her, a slightly amused smirk playing across his lips.

"I know!" the girl responded through a mouthful of mashed potato. "I'm just so hungry!" Truth be told she didn't look much different from any of her other teammates who seemed to be attempting a world record for fastest meal eaten at a hot spring, or anywhere else for that matter. Hitsugaya snorted and turned back to his own dinner, hoping his roommate wouldn't find a way to choke herself and add that to the list of things he had to worry about.

Kyoraku, Nanao, Ichimaru, and Aizen had all decided to eat their meals elsewhere and had set the team loose on the hot spring with direct instructions to wreak as little havoc as possible. Of course a little chaos, Kyoraku had said with a glint in his eye, was okay every once in awhile. Clearly he had had the dinner table in mind when those words left his mouth.

As soon as the meal was completed several of the guys were planning to hit the hot springs while others wanted to stop by the game room where pool and ping pong tables were set up awaiting friendly competition. Momo had already decided to be a part of the later group as setting foot anywhere near a hot spring was bound to be a bad idea. Even so the thought of purposely avoiding the steaming water and relaxing herbals was enough to disappoint her more than a little bit. Regardless she was determined to make this a fun trip if it killed her, a task she wasn't expecting to be too difficult.

All at once the sound of pounding feet and shrill laughter could be heard from outside the room, pausing directly on the other side of the wall. There was a slight hesitation before the door was slid viciously open revealing a red haired girl standing in the entryway, her eyes furiously scanning the room before resting on Hitsugaya and immediately lighting up.

"TOSHIRO! I found you sweetie!" she squealed, racing forward and throwing her arms around him in a viselike embrace. Dead silence panned the dinner table as the entirety of Ryouta's soccer team stared in astonishment at the scene taking place before them. Momo was no exception, as her chin had already found a quite comfortable bed in the mashed potatoes.

"Kaori, get the hell off me," Toshiro hissed in barely controlled undertones.

"No!" the girl responded gleefully as Momo clenched her teeth. Even if it killed her, she had told herself, even if it killed her she was going to have fun; a plan that had just gotten twenty times more difficult…

…………

DONE! Okay awesome awkwardness is definitely taking place next chapter and I'm really excited to write that, hehe. In other news I posted a newish Hitsu/Hina one shot around Christmas time called Secret Santa and for those of you interested and who haven't checked it out yet, give it a read and let me know what you think! Kapish? Haha I don't even know if I spelled that right.

Anyway yeah stupid Kaori is back to cause chaos, drama will go down between Rangiku and Gin, and Momo and Toshiro have a very awkward encounter, all of which will happen next time! Thanks so much for your amazing support! Love you guys!

~Phoenix


	24. Developments

A/N: Wow latest Bleach update…I think I died a little inside…

……………

Momo's lips seemed to be stuck in a permanent scowl as she watched the heated ping pong match between Renji and Ichigo. No matter how hard she tried to focus on the game, she couldn't stop her eyes from continuously flicking over to where Kaori was hanging on Toshiro's arm, obviously impeding on his ability to shoot pool accurately. The boy was wrapped up in a duel against Hisagi but was having a challenging time getting a shot off as the redhead absolutely refused to let go of him.

Apparently she was a student at Kaito and had been 'absolutely overjoyed' to hear that the boy's soccer team was making a little field trip to the hot springs the same weekend they were. 'What are the odds?' she had squealed before promptly glomping Hitsugaya again. Toshiro had tried to shake her off multiple times yet she was like a persistent leech refusing to loosen its jaws, or at least that's how Hinamori saw things.

"You have steam coming out your ears." Momo jumped and glanced up to see Kira smiling down at her, his eyebrows raised in a perfect picture of amusement. She sighed, scooting over on the bench so the blonde could take a seat beside her.

"You're not going into the baths?" she asked curiously. Kira shrugged, his eyes following the ping pong ball as it flew back and forth across the table.

"Maybe a little later depending on what you-I mean depending on what everyone else is doing," he replied, turning red in the face. Momo however had returned her attention to Kaori and Hitsugaya and didn't notice the action.

"Oh, that's nice," she responded distractedly. Right at that moment Renji let out a massive roar and sent the tiny ball hurtling towards Ichigo with the force of a stampeding rhinoceros. Ichigo promptly ducked, the ball just brushing his hair as it flew past him and hit Kaori smack dab in the middle of the forehead. Momo slammed a hand over her mouth just in time to stifle a snort of amusement while Hitsugaya tried not to appear too pleased with this new turn of events. Kaori looked absolutely livid.

"Who did that!?" she screeched, rounding on Ichigo and Renji with flashing eyes, momentarily dropping her grip on Hitsugaya. Ichigo smirked, turning back to Renji and ignoring the girl completely.

"That's my point," he said matter of factly. "Hitting the ball as hard as possible doesn't get you points in ping pong." Renji glared at him before dropping into what everyone assumed to be his gaming stance.

"Don't get cocky Kurosaki, I'm just getting warmed up," he responded, a sneer spreading across his lips.

"Excuse me! I asked which one of you bozo's was responsible for hitting me with this!" Kaori repeated, holding the ball out agitatedly.

"Oh there's the ball, thanks for that," Ichigo said, shooting her a small smirk before easily plucking the little sphere from her fingers and turning back to his opponent. Kaori's mouth fell open and she stared at him, closely resembling a fish caught out of water.

"Wh-wh-what in the world was that!? Apologize!" she yelped. Ichigo and Renji however, were completely content to ignore her and continued on with their game like nothing had happened. Kaori scowled and whirled around, a vein pulsing in her forehead.

"Can you believe them Toshiro!? Toshiro…?" the girl trailed off as soon as she noticed the boy's attention was miraculously not fixed on her but instead on his stupid pool game with his stupid teammate. Scowling she slammed her hands on her hips and marched over, only to be intercepted as someone got in her way.

Momo glared up at the girl, her eyebrows slanted dangerously over her eyes, arms crossed over her chest, an irritated frown on her face. She didn't know what in the world had prompted her to put herself between Hitsugaya and this crazy girl but she hoped she could keep her at bay at least for a little while.

"Excuse me, you're in my way," the redhead said, icicles practically dropping off her lips. Momo swallowed, slowly exhaling in an attempt to get her temper under control before putting what she hoped wasn't too pained a smile on her face.

"I know. Hitsugaya's in the middle of a game right now and it'd probably go a little better for him if you weren't attached to his arm," she said pleasantly. Kaori's eyes narrowed and Hinamori could tell she was thinking hard, trying to see if she was being made fun of or not. Clearly this proved to be too much for her as she shook her head, batting the comment away like an irritating fly.

"That's ridiculous. Shiro does even better while I'm around! Obviously I'm his good luck charm!" she replied. Something within Momo snapped as the pet name left Kaori's lips. She, Momo, would always be the _only _person allowed to call him that, weather he liked it or not.

"Actually, you're just annoying," she retorted, losing all of the fake kindness she had shown earlier. There was a moment of silence in which no one said anything, most everyone's eyes had locked onto Hinamori in complete and utter shock…everyone's that is, save one.

"Why you impudent little…"Kaori began, her eyes flashing with rage as she raised her hand and took a step forward. Not a moment later Hinamori felt strong hands grasp her shoulders, pulling her backwards and out of danger while at the same time allowing three others to step between herself and the enraged red head. Blinking Momo glanced up at the scene in front of her, unable to stop a tiny surge of warmth from shooting through her stomach as she realized what had happened.

Ichigo, Renji, and Hisagi were standing between her and Kaori, each one with a restraining hand on the other girl's arm while Kira was standing a couple of feet away, gaping at the scene in front of him. That meant the only one left in the room who could have pulled her back was… Hinamori turned her head slowly, wondering why she hadn't recognized the familiar scent of mint cologne earlier. Hitsugaya was standing directly behind her, his turquoise eyes resting coolly on the infuriated girl, his hands still resting protectively on Momo's shoulders.

"I think that's your cue to leave," Hisagi said quietly, eyes never leaving Kaori's as the words left his lips. The girl gasped, an angry flush rising to her cheeks as she glared around at them. Pouting she yanked her hand away and took two steps backwards before glancing up at Hitsugaya one more time.

"Toshiro…do you really want me to leave?" she asked spiffily. The boy nodded once, not even opening his mouth to grace her with a response. "Fine…Fine! See if I care!" the girl snarled, turning on her heel before marching towards the door. Pausing just within reach of the handle she turned back towards the group and opened her mouth.

"You're going to regret this," she hissed and Hinamori felt a slight shiver run down her spine as Kaori's eyes bored into her own. Then, with the slam of a door, she was gone.

A moment of silence passed before Kira broke it, glancing around and chuckling nervously.

"Well…that was exciting…" he said, looking around for a response of some sort.

"Hitsugaya, who the hell is that exactly?" Hisagi asked, running a hand through his hair and glancing in the direction from which Kaori had departed. Toshiro sighed, dropping his hands from Momo's shoulders and leaving a strange tingling sensation in their absence.

"She's the daughter of a client my dad had over for dinner. Apparently she's taken a liking to me," he responded and Momo thought she saw the hint of a smirk pass over his lips. Ichigo and Hisagi cracked smiles while Renji laughed outright, returning the good feeling to the room.

"Way to verbally kick her ass Hinamori," the redhead remarked, giving her a slight bonk on the head as he moved past her and back towards the ping pong table. The girl flushed, scratching her head sheepishly.

"I didn't mean to. It just sort of came out," she protested. The boys laughed again, only adding to her mounting embarrassment. Yet even so, she couldn't help but feel happy about how rapidly the four had jumped to her aid and she had to resist the urge to continue grinning like an idiot. Right at that moment the poor door was slammed open again revealing Ikkaku, Yumichika, and Keigo in all their bathrobed glory.

"What the heck are you idiots still doing in here? This is a hot spring, you come for the baths," Ikkaku stated bluntly. Yumichika nodded, sighing dreamily and tossing his hair.

"You rogues should really give it a try. The water does wonders for the skin," he said silkily. Momo stifled a giggle, thanking her lucky stars that Yumichika attended the all boys school as well. Disguising herself really was much easier when he was around. Hisagi yawned, stretching and resting the cue against the wall.

"That does sound good. I think I'll hop in before heading to bed early," he said. Renji quickly nodded his approval, setting his paddle on the table without a second glance. Hinamori raised an eyebrow with the sneaking suspicion that her friend was merely using the hot springs as an excuse to avoid being thoroughly throttled by Ichigo.

"Sounds like a plan," the strawberry agreed before setting his paddle down as well and shoving his hands into his pockets. Momo swallowed, knowing she had to find some way out of this situation before things got really messy.

"Hinamori you coming?" Hisagi asked, pausing at the door. The girl froze.

"Um, actually…"

"Come on kid, you're not allowed to say no," Renji stated and the next thing Momo knew her world was being turned upside down as she was slung across Renji's shoulders like a rag doll.

"Wh-what!? Wait, put me down!" she yelled, pounding on her captor's back.

"Sorry shrimp, but you're getting dunked," Ikkaku said with a grin, stepping back to allow them passage through the door. Momo began to panic, knowing nothing good could come from her being forced into the spring. Her eyes rose up to meet Hitsugaya's and for a moment she almost yelled for his help. The girl stopped herself however, when he suddenly brought a hand to his temple and massaged it as though nursing a headache. All at once a light bulb went off in her brain and she gave her roommate a quick, grateful smile.

Gasping as if in pain Momo suddenly brought her hands to her head, groaning as loudly as she could without being over dramatic. Renji immediately paused while the smirks on the other boy's faces disappeared just as rapidly.

"Crap, Hinamori are you okay?" the redhead asked, carefully putting her back on her feet.

"Y-yeah I think so," she responded, doing her best to sound a little woozy. "I think I'm just going to lie down in the room for awhile."

"I'll go with you!" Kira said quickly. "Y-you know, to make sure you get there okay." Momo smiled up at him but shook her head slowly.

"Thanks but I'll be okay. It's just down the hall," she told him.

"Are you sure?" the blonde asked, concern evident in his eyes. Hinamori nodded.

"Uh-huh."

Hitsugaya sighed, stepping forward and brushing past his roommate without a second glance.

"Come on let's go. Hinamori's not a child, he can take care of himself," he stated curtly. Momo grinned weakly, for once grateful for Toshiro's trademark chilly behavior. The other boys nodded before following Hitsugaya's example and filing out the door.

"Get some sleep Hinamori," Hisagi told her before exiting the room, leaving just she and Renji behind. The pineapple bit his lip as Momo looked at him questioningly, wondering why in the world he was still here. The boy cleared his throat and swallowed, looking everywhere in the room except at her. Finally, after a moment's awkward pause, he spoke up.

"S-sorry," he stammered. "I forgot about your concussion for a minute and shouldn't have flipped you around like that." Momo instantly felt guilty, knowing her friend was unaware he hadn't actually caused her pain. Still, now wasn't exactly the best time to reveal the truth so she just pretended to go with it.

"No it's okay. I've been feeling fine for awhile now so I forgot about it too. It's nothing to beat yourself up over," she responded, mentally apologizing to him for the lie.

"At least let me walk you back to the room," Renji insisted awkwardly and Momo got the feeling he wasn't used to apologizing much.

"Alright," she answered, hoping he only planned on walking her back and not staying any longer than that.

She was lucky for as soon as they arrived at the suite Renji gave her a hasty good bye and all but ran back down the hallway. Momo breathed a sigh of relief, sliding open the door and closing it behind her before turning, biting back a yelp of surprise upon seeing Hitsugaya sitting on his bed and staring at her amusedly.

"Nicely done bed-wetter," he said, eyes sparkling with a contained sense of mischief. Hinamori pouted at him and stepped forward, immediately getting her foot caught on Ichigo's duffel bag and tumbling forward, catching herself just before her head hit her roommate's knee.

"I'm not a bed wetter," she snapped though at this point it was near impossible to preserve any dignity she may have had left. Toshiro snorted.

"And I suppose you're not a klutz either," he replied, not taking his eyes from the large textbook lying open in front of him. Momo chose to ignore that comment and instead stared up at him from where she remained propped above his knee.

"Why didn't you go to the hot springs?" she asked. Toshiro frowned.

"I don't like them that much," he answered.

"But they feel so good!" the girl protested. Hitsugaya shrugged but made no response. Sighing Momo felt the first hints of sleep begin to gnaw at her eyes and she swallowed a yawn. It had been quite awhile since dinner and, though she didn't have a watch, she knew it had to be past ten at least. Letting her head droop she rested her cheek on her roommate's leg, curling into a tight ball and sighing contentedly. Hitsugaya immediately flushed and stared down at her, a shiver running involuntarily through his body.

"Wh-what are you doing?" he hissed.

"Sleeping," Momo replied tiredly.

"Don't you think your bed would be more comfortable?" the boy asked, his face on fire.

"Don't care," Hinamori muttered, sleep making her words foggy. Hitsugaya sighed, staring down at the girl in his lap. He supposed he could always push her off…yet there was a part of him, a rather large part of him, that liked her perfectly well where she was. Her breath had become deep and even and he marveled at her ability to fall asleep as rapidly as she had.

Ever so carefully he reached down and gently rested his fingertips on her head, slowly running them through her silky locks and repeating the motion, stroking her hair in an unusually tender way. Continuing to do so he turned back to his textbook, missing the warm smile that had spread over the girl's lips.

……………

Kira stared in absolute bafflement through the slight crack between the door and the wall, his face growing redder and redder as he observed his two teammates. Hinamori was sound asleep _in Hitsugaya's lap_ and Hitsugaya was…Hitsugaya was… The blonde almost burst into the room to demand what was going on but found something held him back. Frowning he stared at the white haired boy's face, a strange sensation rising in his chest.

Toshiro Hitsugaya barely ever smiled or relaxed, yet there he was looking more peaceful than he had in all the time Kira had known him. Hinamori too, the boy noticed, had a tiny smile on his lips and was looking more than a little bit content. Kira swallowed, carefully backing away from the door. Originally he had planned on pretending to forget something so he could head back to the room and make sure Hinamori was okay. Who would have thought he'd stumble across something like this?

Immediately he wondered if he shouldn't tell someone but one more glance at Hitsugaya's face wiped away any such thoughts. If he were to spill his little discovery the boy was bound to clam up again, potentially even more so than before. Sighing Kira turned down the hall, unable to stop the annoying clench in his stomach that definitely was NOT jealousy. Yet despite everything, the blonde couldn't help but feel a little proud of himself. It had always been a mystery why Toshiro Hitsugaya turned down every date offered to him. Who would have guessed that the amazingly talented genius and soccer prodigy floated a little to the left…

……………

Hinamori awoke much later that night, opening her eyes and instantly feeling as though they were still closed. The distinct sound of snoring rumbled through the room and it didn't take the girl long to realize she must have fallen asleep early and was now wide awake at some obscene hour of the night. Frowning the girl rolled over and was just able to make out a thin line of light bleeding into the room from beneath the doorway, barely illuminating the slumped forms of her sleeping roommates.

Momo sat up, letting the blanket fall from around her shoulders, revealing the fact that she was still in her day clothes. Obviously she hadn't changed and it only took her a second to remember why. A small blush fanned across her face as she recalled where exactly she had fallen asleep earlier and her scalp tingled slightly though she couldn't say why… Ever so carefully she shoved the rest of the blanket off her and got to her feet, doing her best to tread carefully so as to avoid stepping on the snoozing boys. She made it across the floor without much incident and sidled out the door before closing it silently behind her.

Rubbing the last grains of sleep from her eyes she turned and headed down the hallway, figuring she would let her feet take her where they wished and see where she ended up. Not surprisingly the halls were deserted, the late hour having sent most of the hot spring's occupants to bed, leaving none but the late night shift awake. Momo paused suddenly, a tiny light bulb going off in her brain. If the entire team was asleep, and if no one was there to disturb her, then she might as well take advantage of the hot spring while she could. Smiling to herself she tiptoed in the direction of the springs, sliding open the back doors and heading across the rock garden towards where she knew the baths to be located. She had gotten about halfway through when the sound of voices made her pause, drawing her attention to the small area just left of the fountain.

"What the hell are you doing here, Gin?" Momo froze, recognizing Rangiku's voice almost instantly.

"I'm on a field trip of course. It comes with the job description." The girl frowned as the sound of her student teacher's voice reached her ears only seconds after Matsumoto's had. There was a moment of silence and Momo knew she should keep walking. This conversation was absolutely none of her business and eavesdropping was definitely not the right course of action to take. Why was it then that her legs were taking her closer to the sound of voices and not in the direction of the baths like she'd originally planned? The two came into view shortly thereafter, just visible in the limited light provided by the moon. Momo crouched in the rock's shadow, silently willing her heart to stop beating so loudly for she was sure Rangiku and Ichimaru would be able to hear it.

"Stop saying things like that and stop smiling with that stupid fake grin of yours. I hate how you're acting like nothing happened, like you didn't just up and disappear. I hate you for that!" Matsumoto snapped, the last line coming out as a tightly controlled sob. Hinamori bit her lip, hating herself for watching but unable to pull her eyes away. Ichimaru tutted and shook his head, casually shoving his hands in his pockets.

"Keeping all that weight on your shoulders all these years… you poor girl," he murmured, his lips still quirked up in the same sadistic smile.

SLAP!

Momo gasped and immediately clapped a hand to her mouth, praying they hadn't overheard. She needn't have worried as the two's attention was too focused on each other to notice much of anything else. Ichimaru slowly brought a hand up to the cheek that had received the blow, raising his eyebrows at the infuriated girl in front of him.

"You don't care at all, do you?" she asked quietly. "About leaving? About me?" There was another silence in which Ichimaru just stared at her, his usual sneer gone, his eyes slowly opening to reveal crimson orbs. He seemed to be turning something over in his mind, trying to decide weather or not to tell her something. The man took a step towards her, slowly raising his hand and resting it on her arm, moving in until the two were barely an inch apart. Rangiku froze, her eyes widening slightly as he brought his lips to her ear, whispering two words that sent shivers down her spine.

"I can't," he murmured before turning around and vanishing back in the direction of the hot springs, leaving Rangiku alone. The young woman stared after him before slowly falling to her knees, finally allowing the held back tears to stream down her face. Momo bit her lip, longing to run to her friend's side and wrap her arms around her yet she knew if she did so it would be more than obvious she had been listening. Even so seeing the girl in so much pain overcame her guilt and she got to her feet, about to go to her when Rangiku took a deep shuddering breath and rose, turning and heading in the opposite direction Ichimaru had gone. Momo watched her leave, her heart reaching out for her friend.

…………….

Hinamori sighed contently, sliding into the bath and letting the water envelope her like a warm hug. She had headed into the women's baths without a second thought, knowing none of her teammates would be here and if luck was on her side, no girls from Kaito would be either. Regardless she would have to make it quick. Momo couldn't get the conversation she had just overheard out of her head and her heart ached for Rangiku. She couldn't imagine how the girl must be feeling right now especially after finally reconnecting with Ichimaru after all this time. The man's cold hearted indifference had infuriated her though she knew what she was feeling was nothing compared to what Matsumoto was going through. Frowning she leaned her head back against the outer wall, wishing there was something she could do for the ginger haired girl.

The sound of voices outside the door alerted her attention and she glanced up, her heart in her throat as two girls stepped out, heading towards the springs. Fortunately they didn't appear familiar yet Momo knew she couldn't be too careful. Carefully slipping out of the spring she reached for the towel she had set beside her before wrapping it around herself and quickly making her way towards the doors, keeping her head down as she passed by the girls. Breathing a sigh of relief Momo slid into the building, her eyes immediately falling on the soft pink yukata's hanging up for the convenience of the guests.

She knew it would be a bad idea to wear one due to her current situation, yet at the same time she had no intention of returning to her room and who was going to be awake at four-o-clock in the morning? Walking past her neatly folded up clothes she happily plucked one of the pink robes from the hanger and wrapped it around herself. Immediately a contented smile spread over her lips as the soft cloth made contact with her skin. It felt so good to be wearing something so obviously girly without chest wraps or other precautions. Remembering the two hair ties she had shoved in her pocket earlier Momo traipsed across the room towards her folded up pants and wasted no time rummaging in the pockets until she found the two carefully hidden hair bands kept within.

Her shaggy locks were just long enough now to fix into two short pig tails at the base of her neck and she promptly did so, feeling happier than she had in awhile. Glancing at her reflection in the full length mirror hanging on the wall she immediately smiled, glad to finally see Momo Hinamori staring back at her. It had been awhile… Turning away she carefully opened the door, poking her head into the hallway to make sure no Ryouta boys were about. With the cost clear she happily stepped out and wandered back in the direction of the lobby, figuring she would get a little exploring in before she had to change back into Masaki and return to the room.

Upon rounding a bend in the hallway she immediately crashed into something, bouncing backwards painfully and barely stopping herself from taking an ungraceful tumble. Glancing up she blinked to see a rather plump looking man staring down at her, greasy black hair smoothed over his scalp and an empty bottle of beer in his hand. Momo swallowed and immediately took a step backwards.

"S-sorry about that," she muttered before attempting to turn and get the hell out of there.

"Hold on a minute girlie, I could use some company tonight. Why don't we talk for awhile?" the man asked, his words slurred under the influence, piggy little eyes narrowed in a manner Hinamori didn't like at all.

"Th-that's okay. Really I've got somewhere to be," she answered, trying to sound firm but unable to keep some of the apparent nervousness out of her tone.

"Oh that can wait," the guy said, taking one step towards her and grabbing her wrist with his free hand.

"Get away from me!" Momo gasped, fear coursing through her veins as the man jerked her towards him, causing one shoulder of her yukata to start to slip.

"Oh, that's nice," the man growled, dropping the bottle and raising his hand to help the progress of the sleeve move farther down Momo's arm. Fortunately he never got that far for right at that moment something struck him in the side of the head, sending him flying backwards before crashing unceremoniously into the ground. Hinamori blinked and glanced over to see Hitsugaya standing there, his fists clenched, eyes flaming. Relief flooded her veins but before she could say anything Toshiro had stormed past her and was now standing next to the man, looking more furious than Momo had ever seen him be.

"If you ever touch her like that again…" he growled, leaning down and taking the man by the scruff of his shirt. "I'll kill you." Hinamori gasped, her hands flying to her mouth as the man nodded his agreement, clearly quailing under Hitsugaya's murderous gaze.

"Crazy psycho!" the fatty squeaked before turning and high tailing it down the hallway. Toshiro watched him go, his hands still clenched into fists, eyes narrowed dangerously. Momo swallowed before taking a step forward.

"H-Hitsugaya?" she murmured, not sure what exactly to say to him as she had never seen him looking so thoroughly furious before. There was a moment's pause before the boy rounded on her.

"And you! What the hell were thinking traipsing around here dressed like that!?" he thundered. Momo swallowed and took a step back.

"I-I thought that since it was so late nobody would…"

"Nobody would what? See you!? Just because everyone in our room was sleeping doesn't mean that the entire building was! Are you trying to get people to find out your secret?!" he bellowed, eyes flashing. Momo shook her head.

"N-no of course not! I was just trying to actually be myself for one night!" she responded, refusing to back down from his furious stare. Tears were pricking at her eyes yet she didn't know if it was because of what had happened moments ago or Hitsugaya's unexpected anger. Rapidly she swiped at them, refusing to cry here. Toshiro sighed, his eyes softening as he regarded her.

"I'm sorry," he muttered. "I shouldn't have yelled at you like that." Momo blinked back her surprise, hardly daring to believe those words had just left his mouth. Quickly finding her voice again she shook her head, giving him a watery smile.

"N-no it's okay. I really should be more careful…" There was a pause before she dropped her gaze to the ground, a light flush spreading over her cheeks. "Thank you so much for saving me back there," she whispered. "I don't know what would have happened if you hadn't come along." The boy was quiet for a minute before he slowly moved towards her, closing the distance between them to practically nothing. Gently he pulled the sleeve of her yukata back over her shoulder, a small blush passing across his cheeks as he did so.

"I wouldn't have to if you would stay out of trouble," he whispered, his hand still on her shoulder. Momo tipped her head up to look at him and their eyes met and locked. Her world began to blur until all she could see were his amazing turquoise orbs staring back into her own, sending an unknown warmth shooting through her veins. She found herself focusing in on his lips and wondering what it would feel like to taste them with her own. Standing on her tip toes she leaned towards him, closing her eyes as she felt his warm breath on her face. They were mere centimeters apart when all the sudden a loud guffaw and a whack to Toshiro's back yanked the two of them back to reality.

"Get a room you two!" snapped one of the hot spring's employees as he made his way down the hallway, muttering to himself about teenage hormones. Hitsugaya barely had time to comprehend the man's words as he felt himself reeling forward, caught off balance by the shove he had received. Before he could stop himself he was falling towards Momo, the two of them crashing ungracefully into the ground. He landed on top and barely caught himself by planting both his hands on either side of her head, his wide eyes mere inches away from her startled brown ones. It took about a fraction of a second for his temperature to rise to places it had no business being and he immediately shoved himself off her, blushing furiously in the process.

"Y-you okay?" he stammered, reaching down a hand to help her to her feet and noticing in the process that her yukata had come a bit loose in the fall, causing the neckline to go places only Rangiku would find appropriate. Temporarily losing himself he tried to tare his eyes away and found he couldn't… stupid teenage hormones indeed. Momo followed his gaze and immediately flushed multiple shades of crimson, grabbing her yukata top firmly in her fist in order to provide a better sense of modesty. Toshiro cleared his throat and turned the other way, his ears still visibly pink as he tried to get words to formulate properly in his throat.

"I'm going back to the room. You better change back," he said stiffly before taking off down the hallway at a pace just short of a brisk jog. Momo merely nodded, her heart doing funny things in her chest as she watched his departure. Just what in the world was wrong with her?

…………

DONE! Haha with this chapter anyway. Hopefully you guys enjoyed it. I really tried to put more fluff in there because I know there's been a lack of it in previous chapters. Once again sorry for the delayed update. I had 5 tests and 1 quiz last week…absolutely ridiculous. That is just a taste of my stupidly busy schedule. Anyway I hope you enjoyed the chapter and didn't cry to hard at the most recent Bleach update… *sob* Much love!

~Phoenix


	25. Dojo

A/N: Hey everyone. I know this was late. Someone very close to me passed away on Valentines Day and I had a really hard time writing for awhile. BUT now I'm more or less out of my initial funk and figured I should really get around to updating. Thanks so much for baring with me!

…………

Compared to that first Friday, the rest of the weekend passed by rather uneventfully. Momo experienced no more awkward encounters, Kaori stayed out of their way, and no more drama seemed to unfold between Rangiku and Gin. The only thing out of the ordinary was that Kira seemed to be acting even stranger than usual, something the girl brushed off as the blonde just being his usual self. As the weekend drew to a close Momo felt as though she had almost been let off too easily with how things had unfolded, yet all the same she couldn't help feeling a little relieved at the thought of leaving the hot spring.

The two weeks after their return flew by and Momo found soccer practices beginning to pick up in intensity as the Death Gods prepared for their first game of the season. They would be playing against Mundo and as such tension levels were high, everybody wanting to prove a point by driving the opposing team into the ground. The team's attitude was contagious and before she knew what was happening Momo found herself becoming just as wrapped up in the soccer craze as everyone else. She spent almost every minute of her free time out on the field kicking a ball around with Renji, Ichigo, or one of the other boys, stubbornly ignoring the rapidly dropping temperature levels. Fall was nearly upon them and it wouldn't be long before she and the others would be busting out the long sleeves.

Yet despite the soccer craze Momo found herself spending a lot of time thinking, some of it school related, a lot of it roommate related, but most recently she had been remembering Kenpachi's offer of attending his dojo. It had been a couple of weeks since her run in with the man and she hoped he still remembered her. Fresh in her mind was the experience she'd had at the hot spring, running into the drunken man and being rescued by Hitsugaya before things got too out of hand. She had already seen her fair share of trouble, what with the hot spring experiences, the attack upon delivering Aizen's letter, and the fight with Grimmjow, and Momo couldn't help but feel that learning to defend herself might just come in handy in the future. Now the only problem was finding time to do so.

Her schedule was already full with homework and soccer practice but she supposed she did have weekends and a few spare hours in the early mornings. It might be a wise idea to stop by Kenpachi's and figure out what she could. Still, she couldn't help but feel a little nervous and wondered if it wouldn't be better to ask Renji or Ichigo to accompany her, yet at the same time this was something she wanted to do herself. Yet despite her urge for independence, she still had to learn how to get to the dojo itself and because of this found herself pulling the redhead aside after practice a couple days later.

Renji was curious about her newfound interest in the dojo and bugged her with a lot of questions before finally relinquishing the address, telling her to let him know if she planned on becoming a regular. Momo nodded, having no actual intention of keeping her promise, and tucked the address into her pocket, excitement mixing with her nerves. All that was left was to find the right time to go.

She got her first opportunity that weekend and, steeling herself, she changed into a baggy tee-shirt and a loose pair of shorts before taking a deep breath and heading out the door, the slip of paper with Renji's directions grasped firmly in her hand. The girl made her way across campus, trying desperately to calm her beating heart and wondering why in the world she was so nervous. Kenpachi had helped her out before, even going so far as to tell her to stop by if she wanted, so it wasn't like he was going to turn her away. Hinamori wasn't exactly sure what she planned to do if anyone she knew was there. It wasn't exactly a secret that she intended to go but at the same time it would be yet another opportunity for her true identity to be revealed if Kenpachi or Yachiru accidentally let anything slip. The dojo instructor she wasn't so worried about, Yachiru on the other hand… Momo sighed and shook her head, glancing up as she neared Urahara's. Renji had said the dojo was located just a couple of stores down from the small café so she had to be getting close. Crossing the street she took a right and headed down the block, keeping her eyes and ears open for any hint of her destination.

It wasn't long before the sounds of practice swords, exerted yells, and familiar high pitched giggles reached her ears and she knew she was finally in the right place. Taking a deep breath she paused in front of the dojo, making one last attempt to get her racing nerves under control, before she placed a hand on the door and pulled it open. Immediately the yells, clacks, and laughter grew to a swell and she glanced around, taking in everything there was to see. On one side of the spacious room multiple students were caught up in sparring matches with large practice swords, their eyebrows furrowed in concentration as they lunged and dodged around their opponents. On the opposite side of the dojo various other students were practicing complex looking martial arts forms, their eyes trancelike as they flowed from one step into another. Fortunately she saw no familiar faces and released a breath she hadn't known she'd been holding, the tension visibly straining out of her body.

"So you decided to show up after all, eh kid?" Momo jumped and whirled around, biting her tongue rather painfully in the process as she laid her eyes on Kenpachi himself. She found it strange that she hadn't heard a man of his size approaching and even stranger that the jingle of his bells had gone unnoticed. Clearly she'd been more caught up in her surroundings than she'd thought.

"Y-yes," she stuttered, trying to locate her voice again. Kenpachi snorted, his amusement evident in the side smirk that snaked across his face.

"Any particular reason why?" he continued, black eyes boring into her brown ones. Momo swallowed, resisting the urge to step backwards. Swallowing she remembered Kira getting punched in the face while she could do nothing but watch, she saw the blur of the hooded figures as they closed in to attack, and last but not least the sweaty face of the man she had encountered at the hot spring.

"I-I want to be able to defend myself and…" she trailed off, watching as Kenpachi raised an eyebrow. "Well, I don't know. I guess I just don't want to have to be protected all the time." The man stared at her for a moment before shaking his head and turning his hawk like gaze onto the other students. There was a pause in which Momo waited for him to say something, hoping whatever words were going to come out of his mouth would be ones she wanted to hear.

"Alright." The girl blinked and she immediately wondered if she'd heard him correctly.

"E-excuse me?" Kenpachi raised his eyebrows.

"You go deaf kid? I said alright," he responded, his narrowed eyes meeting hers.

"J-just like that?" Momo asked, mentally chiding herself for stuttering again. Kenpachi chuckled.

"I suppose there's just something about that fire in your eyes that I like, not to mention your circumstances interest me. I'll be looking forward to seeing how everything plays out for you," he said, the feral grin on his face again. Momo blinked, wondering how much about her this man had already figured out on his own. She doubted he knew the details but then again, she also doubted he really cared all that much.

"Then I guess all that's left to figure out is when I start…" she said, looking up at him tentatively. Kenpachi frowned, clearly considering her remark.

"How discreet do you want to be?" he inquired. Momo paused, pondering the question. Where it was possible to continue being Masaki at the dojo, her life would be made much easier if she didn't have to worry about the suspicion of the other students. That said her schedule was pretty tight with studying and soccer practice and she was sure there weren't many times during the day that the dojo was empty. Wincing she knew she was going to regret saying this yet at the same time allowed the words to slip out of her mouth.

"Would it be alright if I came early in the mornings? There aren't as many people here then so I wouldn't have to worry as much about people finding out," she said. Kenpachi sneered, amusement sparking in his eyes. Perhaps he had sensed her reluctance.

"You sure you're up for it?" he asked her. Momo nodded, kicking all misgivings to the curb.

"Absolutely."

……………..

It didn't take long for Hitsugaya to notice that his roommate had taken to waking up at obscene hours of the morning before getting her stuff together and disappearing. She always looked tired when he saw her again in fourth hour history and he noticed that she winced upon sitting or standing up, obviously a result of stiff muscles. The girl mentioned nothing about her strange new behavior and he decided that, for the time being, he wouldn't ask about it. Still he couldn't help the curiosity gnawing at his stomach and it wasn't long before he actually found himself entertaining the idea of following her one of these mornings. Immediately he dashed the thought, worried that somehow Rangiku was rubbing off on him.

After much debate he forced himself to stop worrying so much and instead focus on soccer as their first match against Mundo was to be held that Friday. Practices were growing in intensity as the team prepared, their adrenaline high as the Death Gods anticipated the upcoming game. It was during one such practice that Hitsugaya noticed his roommate continued to rub her right shoulder, a brief look of pain crossing her face every time she did so. Frowning he decided to corner her about it after practice and wasted no time doing so, elbowing his way through the rest of the team in order to properly approach her. It had become tradition for the two to walk back to the dorm together, thus giving him the perfect chance to interrogate the girl on her strange behavior.

"Are you alright?" he asked once they'd gotten a decent distance away from the rest of the team. Hinamori frowned.

"Huh? Of course I am, why?" she asked, clearly confused. Hitsugaya shrugged, draining the rest of his water bottle before responding.

"You seemed to be favoring your shoulder during practice today, that's all," he responded with a small shrug. The flush that rose to her cheeks was impossible to miss but she rapidly shook her head, denying it anyway.

"O-oh! No I'm definitely fine, really! Nothing wrong at all!" she stuttered, laughing nervously. Hitsugaya rolled his eyes and bonked her lightly on the head.

"You know you're a terrible liar," he said to her. Momo's fake laughter subsided though she still grinned weakly at him.

"It's really nothing," she responded. "I just-"

"Yo Hinamori, great practice today!" Renji had walked up unbeknownst to the two and just so happened to clap Hinamori on the exact shoulder she'd been favoring earlier. Hitsugaya immediately noticed her bite back a yelp as she painfully returned the redhead's smile and promptly shook his head in exasperation.

…………

Momo stifled a yawn and let herself fall backwards onto her soft mattress, loving the feel of her head against the pillow as she closed her eyes contentedly. She was so exhausted lately, what with soccer practice, school work, and now training at the dojo as well. Kenpachi worked her to the bone every morning yet it was a rewarding experience and she could already feel muscles forming she hadn't even known existed until now. Even so she didn't escape completely unscathed and the large purple and black bruise on her shoulder proved it. She'd been sparring with Yachiru and the pinkette had managed to catch her off balance, landing a kick that sent the older girl tumbling none to gracefully into the wall, the bruise on her shoulder the resulting reward.

She knew Hitsugaya was growing suspicious of her behavior but for some reason she couldn't bring herself to tell him. For some reason saying 'I want to get stronger' just seemed silly and she didn't know how he'd react to her telling him she didn't like having to rely on him for everything, especially when it came to escaping sticky situations. Sighing she opened her eyes and squeaked in surprise when she saw her roommate looking down at her through his narrowed teal ones.

"Wh-what? Why are you staring at me?" she asked, resisting the urge to stick her tongue out as she sat up.

"Let me see your shoulder," he demanded shortly, crossing his arms over his chest. Momo frowned.

"I told you it was nothing. Stop worrying so much," she retorted. Hitsugaya snorted and took a step towards her.

"If it's nothing then you shouldn't care if I look at it or not," he muttered, gently grabbing her shirt sleeve and pushing it up her shoulder, hissing softly when he saw the giant black smear on her arm. Raising his eyebrows he let the sleeve fall over the wound before taking a step back, clearly awaiting an explanation.

"I-I tripped and crashed into the wall going down the stairs today," she said to him, attempting to shrug and failing as the bruise throbbed painfully.

"You look like you got kicked," Hitsugaya said point blank, his eyes narrowed and accusing. Momo blinked, hating her roommate's irritating ability to hit the nail on the head every time.

"Would you just let it go? Didn't your mom teach you its rude to ask a girl so many questions?" she snapped, glaring at him as she plopped down on the bed again. Hitsugaya froze, a brief hint of pain flashing through his eyes that didn't go unnoticed by his roommate. Frowning he turned away.

"No she didn't," he murmured darkly before grabbing his duffel bag and heading towards the door. "I'm going to shower."

"O-okay," Momo replied though the door slammed almost before she got the words out. "What in the world was that?"

……………

Wednesday morning rolled around and Momo found herself once again rising at 5:00 in the morning in order to be at the dojo by 5:30. Frowning she spared a glance at her sleeping roommate, the events of last night not far from her mind. After he had returned from the showers he'd immediately buried himself in his textbooks, saying about two words to her the remainder of the night. Momo hadn't pushed him, though she couldn't help but notice he hadn't clamed up until after she'd mentioned his mother. From what she'd witnessed the boy clearly didn't have the best of relationships with his father though she knew nothing about his relationship with his mother. Hitsugaya never mentioned her and Hinamori had never thought to ask. Now however, she couldn't help but feel curious. Sighing she decided Hitsugaya would tell her when he was good and ready and until then she would leave him alone about it. Shifting her bag farther onto her shoulder she tiptoed out the door before locking it behind her and heading down the hallway, stifling a yawn in the process.

The trip to the dojo was quiet as none of the sane dorm students had risen yet. Momo however, didn't mind. She enjoyed the subtle stillness of the morning and the way the campus itself seemed to slowly awaken as the sun began to peek out from the horizon. The generally busy intersection was practically deserted and the girl only had to wait for a car or two before hurrying across to the safety of the other side. As she approached the dojo entrance she massaged her shoulder gently, bracing herself for what was bound to be another productive pummeling session with Kenpachi and Yachiru. Stepping inside she glanced around, taking in the surroundings that were slowly beginning to hold a sense of familiarity and therefore, comfort.

"Peaches!" A sudden weight hit her right around the middle and it took Momo a minute to regain her balance, teetering dangerously before regaining her footing. Glancing down she saw a familiar head of pink hair belonging to the small body gripping her firmly around the waist in an unusually strong bear hug for someone of Yachiru's small size. Momo smiled and patted her awkwardly on the head, still not completely used to the younger girl's random glomp attacks.

"You ready to go kid?" Hinamori jumped and glanced up to see Kenpachi towering over her, the man barely blinking as Yachiru detached herself from Momo and instead latched onto the older man. They made a rather odd pair, Hinamori couldn't help thinking, but in some strange way they completed each other.

"Ready when you are."

…………

Momo wiped a bead of sweat from her forehead and gratefully gulped down the contents of her nearly empty water bottle. That morning's session had been particularly difficult though she hadn't suffered any bruises like she'd been lucky enough to do last time. As much as she hated to admit it, she'd definitely been distracted during that morning's training session. Her mind was preoccupied with Hitsugaya's strange reaction to her comment about his mother and no matter how many times she told herself it wasn't her business, she couldn't help feeling curious.

"You're spacey today kid." Hinamori nearly choked on her water as Kenpachi's gravely voice shook her out of her daze. How a man of his size managed to pop out of nowhere like he did was a mystery to her. Recovering from her near fatal incident with the water bottle she gave him a rather sheepish smile, nodding her head embarrassedly.

"Y-yeah. I have a lot on my mind I guess," she responded. Kenpachi snorted before turning to walk away, clearly not one for heart to heart conversations. Momo stared after the man for a moment before something in her mind suddenly clicked and she opened her mouth to stop him.

"Um, I was wondering. A friend of mine told me once that Toshiro Hitsugaya used to come here all the time. Is that true?" she inquired. Kenpachi turned back to her, one eyebrow raised in slight curiosity.

"Yeah he did. Was pretty damn good too before he just up and stopped coming," he responded, shrugging his massive shoulders loosely. Momo swallowed, knowing she was being more than a little bit nosey yet at the same time refused to feel guilty until later.

"Did you, that is, I mean, did you know much about him?" she asked quietly. Kenpachi frowned, mulling her question over.

"Nah he was one of the quieter ones. He started coming back when he was real young, some old lady brought him in every day," he told her.

"His mother?" Momo asked, hoping she didn't appear too eager to figure out this information. Kenpachi shook his head.

"No his Grandma. From what she told me the kid's actual mom died about a year before he started coming in," he told her. Momo recoiled a bit, sucking in a breath of air and feeling as though she'd just been kicked in the stomach. So that was why…

"I-I see," she replied quietly. Kenpachi studied her for a minute before chuckling quietly to himself and turning away. It might not have been his place to tell the girl that particular bit of information but he'd never cared much about trivial things like that anyway.

"Alright now get the hell out of here before you're late for class," he told her, turning and heading back into the dojo without so much as a wave goodbye. Momo nodded and headed out the door, barely comprehending the other man's departure. It seemed that Hitsugaya still had many things he hadn't told her and she couldn't help but wonder if the boy she was rooming with wasn't a complete stranger after all…

……………

Yeeeah so that was shorter and really late. I'm sorry! I feel like not much happened in this chapter either and there really wasn't that much fluff so it was kind of a fail chapter in more than one regard. BUT hopefully the next one will have more action as soccer picks up as well as more stuff with Hitsugaya's past (hopefully). In any case thanks for being so amazing and not killing me for taking so long.

~Phoenix


	26. First Game

A/N: Hey everyone. Late again I know but without further ado here's the chapter!

…

The next few days flew by and before Momo knew what had happened, it was the day of their first big match against Mundo. Several of Hinamori's classmates patted her on the back and wished her luck as she made her way down the hallway, and even some of the teachers seemed a bit more upbeat than usual. Kurotsuchi and Kuchiki were as serious and no nonsense as ever yet Momo supposed she shouldn't be surprised. She didn't think she'd seen either man smile once in all of her time at Ryouta and there was no reason why they'd start now.

The girl was currently juggling both blatant nerves and raging excitement, yet at the moment she couldn't tell which had the upper hand. She had been keeping up with the boys just fine thanks to her extra workout sessions and at practice she was fully capable of holding her own on the field. Yet even so she was having issues calming her pounding heart and it wasn't until Renji told her she looked ready to hurl that she finally decided to put a cap on her anxiety. When the time for warming up finally did roll around Momo had gotten her nerves almost completely under control and was actually beginning to anticipate the beginning of the game.

The Death Gods had gathered on the right side of the field to stretch and warm up their legs, ignoring the spectators that had begun to fill into the bleachers, shouting their encouragement. Glancing up at them Momo was surprised to see not only Ryouta students, but also girls from some of the surrounding schools, a lot of them pointing and giggling suggestively at the Ryouta players.

"Hinamori! Over here!" Momo blinked, glancing up towards the familiar voice. A grin split across her face as she saw Rangiku standing in the crowd and waving ecstatically her way, Rukia, Orihime, and a couple other Kaito girls following her lead. She gave a short wave in their direction before turning back to her teammates and accepting a ball passed her way by Ichigo.

"You ready?" he half shouted, cutting in to receive her return pass. She nodded and fired the ball his way, the boy's quick feet picking it up and putting it into the goal.

"You better be kid," said a voice from behind her followed by a rather painful noogie. Momo swatted the hand away and turned around to see Renji behind her, a grin on the red head's face.

"Are you trying to give me brain damage before the game? Jerk…" Momo muttered, half tempted to stick her tongue out at him. Renji laughed and put his hands up in mock surrender.

"Come on, let's focus you two!" Hisagi shouted their way, sounding every bit the responsible captain. Momo nodded and turned to retrieve a ball from the goal's netting but paused as Renji nudged her, pointing to the opposite end of the field.

"They're here," he said shortly. The girl frowned, glancing up and looking in the direction his finger indicated. The Mundo players were indeed storming the field, their white and black jerseys standing out against the sharp contrast of the green turf. A shock of blue hair caught Momo's eye and upon taking a closer look she recognized the sturdy player as Grimmjow, the kid who had picked a fight with her and Kira at the beginning of the school year. Also among them she recognized Ulquiorra, as well as several of the boys they'd seen back at Grey's.

"Let's go," she muttered, tugging on Renji's jersey sleeve. The boy fell into step alongside her, a rather feral grin sliding over his features.

"We'll flatten 'em," he said, punching his palm with his fist. Momo looked up at him and couldn't stop a grin of her own from sneaking across her lips.

"Definitely."

…

Warm ups lasted another ten minutes before Hisagi called the whole team into a pre-game huddle. Momo found herself squeezed between Renji and Ichigo as Hitsugaya had taken his place next to Hisagi and was exchanging last minute words with the other captain.

"Alright this is it," Hisagi finally said, turning back to the team. " It's our first game of the year so lets go out there and play. Starters, you're up," he said. Momo nodded along with the others and put her hand in the middle for a cheer. Hisagi's speech hadn't been terribly motivational but she didn't suppose the rest of the boys needed it. There was a general energy about the team that seemed to flow from one player to the next, sending adrenaline pumping through their veins as they prepared for the upcoming match.

The next thing she knew all of her teammates were shouting something unintelligible as they roared out some cheer she had yet to learn the words to. Figuring it couldn't hurt to add her voice to the mix Momo took a deep breath and yelled with the rest of them, finishing up with a tumultuous cry of: "Death Gods!" The stands around them burst into applause and piercing whistles as they took the field, Momo swallowing the rest of her nerves as she prepared to take her place on Hitsugaya's right.

"Hinamori." The girl paused mid step and turned with some surprise to see Kyoraku standing behind her.

"Y-yes?" she asked.

"Just have fun out there," he said to her. "You'll be fine." Momo blinked at him before a smile broke out on her face.

"I will," she replied before turning and jogging onto the field. Hitsugaya glanced up as she approached, catching her eye with his own.

"You ready?" he asked her.

"Yup," she replied, grinning confidently at him. He nodded once before turning his gaze forward as the Mundo players had just broken out of their huddle and were now taking their positions across from the Ryouta team. Momo glanced in front of her and was rather startled to see the long haired kid from Grey's standing there, Nnoitra she thought he'd been called, eyeing her with a dangerous glint in his eye. The girl swallowed and dropped her gaze, instead turning to glance in Hitsugaya and Ichigo's direction. Ulquiorra stood across from Toshiro while Grimmjow faced the strawberry, both boys glaring at each other. Clearly there was no love lost between the two teams.

Chad stood at goalie, Kira standing in front of him as sweeper while Uryu, Yumichika, and Keigo covered defense. Hisagi played center midfield while Renji and Ikkaku stood on either side of him, covering the left and right mid positions. The Death God starters were strong and Momo had every reason to believe that this would be a good game and hopefully, one ending in victory.

The referee trudged onto the field, soccer ball in hand and whistle already clenched between his teeth. He was balding and rather pudgy, his black and white striped shirt already soaked with sweat making Momo wonder if he would actually be able to keep up with the pace of the game. Dropping the ball in the center of the field he backed up a few paces, glancing from Hitsugaya to Ulquiorra and back again.

"Alright I expect a good clean game from all players," he said glaring around the field at them all. Momo heard a snicker and glanced up to see a positively feral sneer cross over Nnoitra's lips as he heard the ref's words. The girl suppressed a shiver and tried to return her focus to the game and shove the other boy's creepy expression from her mind. At that moment the whistle blew and the players dove into action. Renji tapped the ball to Hitsugaya and they were off down the field, weaving between the three forwards and working their way towards the goal. Momo sprinted after them, her eyes scanning the field as the opposing team's defending players rose up to meet them. Hitsugaya fainted to the left before spinning the ball to the right and kicking it full speed her way. Hinamori stepped forward, stopping the ball with her ankle before dribbling it again, regaining momentum.

The defenders were on her in an instant and she swiftly maneuvered the ball away from them, kicking it back to Hitsugaya who was moving in for a cut in the middle of the field. The boy retrieved the ball and brought his leg back, booting the little sphere towards the goal. A quick dive from the goalie prevented a score and the Ryouta players backed up as the ball returned to play.

Grimmjow retrieved the goalie's throw in and darted down the field, weaving the ball expertly from one foot to another. Renji sprinted forward to intercept him, putting his body between the player and the goal where Chad stood at the ready. The redhead made a sweep for the ball but Grimmjow moved it away at the last moment, his elbow making a solid connection with Renji's stomach in the process. The boy winced and faltered for the briefest of moments which was all Grimmjow needed to slip past him. Momo's eyes immediately swerved to where the referee was puffing to keep up with the game, the man having clearly missed the foul. Gritting her teeth she returned her attention to where Grimmjow had passed the ball to Ulquiorra who was now being challenged by Uryu. Before he could do any real damage the ball was passed again, Nnoitra gaining possession.

Keigo ran up to him, arms pumping himself forward wildly while the other player regarded him with a cool demeanor, his trademark smirk sneaking onto his face again. Racing forward he met Keigo head on, dodging the boy's attempt at a slide tackle and booting the ball towards the goal. A familiar head of blonde hair suddenly intercepted the ball's path, preventing it from reaching it's intended goal.

"Hell yeah Kira!" Momo heard Matsumoto yell from the bleachers, whistling her approval. A tiny grin appeared on Kira's face as he put the ball back to Yumichika who swiftly passed it to Hisagi. The captain easily avoided Mundo's attempt at retrieval, weaving around their players with such a graceful ease that Momo couldn't help feeling slightly jealous. Quick as a flash he passed it up to Hitsugaya and they were off again. The defense swarmed around the boy this time, clearly aware of the very real threat he posed to their victory. Gritting his teeth Toshiro passed the ball Ichigo's way, the orange head taking immediate possession and working his way towards the goal.

"YEAH ICHIGOOOOOOOOO!" Hinamori blinked, this new voice taking her by surprise. Allowing herself the briefest of glances towards the sideline she was surprised to see a girl from the Mundo side of the field waving her arms wildly and cheering the strawberry on, clearly ignoring the annoyed glares being sent her way. Long teal hair was pulled back in a ponytail, a pinkish birthmark spread across her cheeks and nose, and she had a body that could hold its own against Rangiku's.

"Who the hell are you cheering for Nel?" one of the Mundo players yelled from the sideline though the girl carried on undaunted. Shaking her head at this new turn of events Momo watched as Ichigo tipped the ball back to Toshiro who immediately passed it her way. Seeing an opening Momo let her shot fly, watching as the ball rocketed towards the goal, grazed past the goalie's outstretched fingers, and hit the back of the net with a satisfactory swish. The stands erupted, barely believing a goal had already been scored this early in the game. A second later the girl found herself being swarmed by her teammates, her head the target of many a hair ruffle while she nearly tripped from the number of back slaps she received.

"Alright don't get cocky guys, we still have the rest of the game to play," Hisagi said after a brief moment. Momo nodded her head before trotting back to her place on Toshiro's right. Nnoitra was already there and the girl couldn't help but notice that he was no longer smirking.

"Your luck won't go any farther than that," he hissed, eyes flashing dangerously. Momo merely shrugged, refusing to let his comment get to her. The ref finally puffed his way over to the center of the field, placing the ball down between Ulquiorra and Toshiro and backing away slowly, his sweaty hands placing the whistle in his mouth once again. He had barely blown it when Ulquiorra passed the ball to Nnoitra who immediately tapped it back to him. Quick as a flash the center forward wove past Hitsugaya and made his way further down the field. As Hisagi approached he passed the ball to Nnoitra again who charged toward the goal, his eyes narrowed to slits. Keigo approached again, taking more caution this time as he attempted to stop the other player's rapid beeline towards the goal.

"Out of my way scum," Nnoitra growled, lowering his shoulder and slamming it into Keigo's chest. The boy stumbled and fell backwards, hitting the ground with an audible thump. Momo practically screamed 'foul', some spectators unable to help themselves, though the ref was once again puffing his way up the field and had missed the whole thing. Meanwhile Nnoitra was narrowing in on the goal, weaving past Kira and bringing his leg back for a shot. Chad's eyes narrowed as the ball flew towards it's target, launching his body sideways at what seemed like the last minute and catching the black and white sphere with one hand. Momo whistled while the Ryouta fans screamed their approval, the big goalie's ridiculous strength impressing them all. With a roar Chad reared back and threw the ball forward over the heads of all Mundo's offensive players, watching in satisfaction as it landed almost directly at Hitsugaya's feet.

The boy took off with the ball again, teal eyes focused intently on the goal and the players rising forward to oppose him. At almost the last second he turned and passed the ball to Ichigo who was cutting inward towards the goal. Before anyone knew what had happened Grimmjow was sprinting towards Ichigo, a positively murderous expression on his face as he covered ground quicker than Momo would have thought possible.

"Ichigo behi-!" she started but didn't have time to finish as Grimmjow chose that moment to dive into a sliding tackle, the bottom of his cleat making contact with Ichigo's ankle and sending him crashing to the ground. The Death God fans and players roared their disapproval, all eyes turned furiously to the ref who had finally blown his whistle, pulling a yellow card from the pouch around his protruding waistline. Grimmjow scowled as he got to his feet, dusting himself off and glaring at the referee in the process yet Momo's eyes were on Ichigo who had slowly risen to his feet, looking a little paler than she would have liked to see him. The boy took a tentative step and immediately swore, stumbling forward and being steadied by Hitsugaya who grabbed his arm just in time.

"Ichigo take one!" Hisagi yelled, jogging over to where the strawberry had pulled himself out of Hitsugaya's grip and was scowling fiercely in an attempt to ignore his throbbing ankle.

"I'm fine, I can still play," he hissed, clenching his fists angrily.

"Get the hell off the field Kurosaki. We need you for more important games than this one," Renji told him, crossing his arms stubbornly. Ichigo opened his mouth to protest but stopped as he saw Kyoraku waving him over from the side of the field, his usual smile missing from his lips. Gritting his teeth the orange head finally gave up, ignoring any help offered him as he limped off the field and plopped none to gracefully onto the ground. Mizuiro trotted on the field in his place, looking more than a little bit nervous to be taking the boy's place.

"Hinamori throw the ball in," Hisagi ordered, stepping back a few paces as he did so. Momo nodded, jogging over to the sideline and picking the ball up, her eyes already scanning the field for her desired target. Taking a deep breath she threw it in.

…

The game got even uglier from there, both teams now practically throwing punches at each other in their determination to possess the ball. Yet despite the brawl like conditions on the field the Death Gods stayed strong, another goal by Hitsugaya bringing the score to 2-0 in Ryouta's favor. Mundo did have many shots on goal but Chad's hulking frame stopped them all, allowing the Death God's to keep their lead and eventually win the game. Momo couldn't help the sigh of relief that escaped her lips as the ref blew the final whistle, drawing the game to a close. Nnoitra, who had the ball at the time, yelled in frustration and booted it towards the Death God sideline, catching a rather unfortunate Hanataro in the back of the head.

"Coach control your players!" the referee yelled, his piggy eyes glaring over in the Mundo sideline's direction. A tall rather skinny man with shoulder length brown hair and a goatee raised his hand in response, motioning his team to line up with a jerk of his head. Momo was almost afraid to shake the other player's hands as she couldn't help but fear for the safety of her fingers. Yet despite her anxiety she fell into place behind Hitsugaya and cautiously held out her hand as the Mundo players approached. The opposing team barely acknowledged them and it only took Momo a second to realize some of them had refused to line up at all, Grimmjow and Nnoitra both members of the later category.

Hinamori let the breath whoosh from her lungs as she turned back towards their sideline and began to make her way towards where Hisagi and Kyoraku were beckoning them over. Feeling the lightest of touches on her shoulder she turned to see Hitsugaya standing beside her, a tiny smirk playing across his lips.

"Nice game bed-wetter," he murmured, his breath tickling her ear and sending shivers racing down her spine.

"Th-thanks," she replied, wishing her heart would stop throwing itself against her ribcage as she was sure everyone could hear it.

"Hinamori!" The girl jumped, whirling around to see Kira jogging towards her, a large smile on his face. "Great game today!" Momo grinned and allowed him to fall into step beside her.

"Thanks! You didn't play too poorly yourself," she responded. The blonde opened his mouth as if to say more though stopped when they reached the sideline and Kyoraku began speaking.

"Nice job today, you all played well." The man paused, not bothering to cover up the large yawn that momentarily took over his mouth. "Don't drink too much at your after par-ouch!" Nanao had chosen that moment to intervene, whacking Kyoraku none to lightly with the brown clipboard in her hand. Rolling her eyes she turned to address the team.

"What your coach is trying to say is way to play through all the punches thrown your way by those guys. Clearly the ref wasn't at the top of his game and missed a lot of those calls but I'm glad you kept your cool, for the most part," she quickly added, giving Ikkaku a short but pointed glance. "No practice this weekend but be prepared for a workout on Monday." The team nodded and put their hands in for a final Death God cheer before dispersing to talk to their friends and family who had come to view the game.

Momo glanced over to where Ichigo was busy trying to calm down a younger girl with rather short sandy hair who seemed convinced the boy's ankle injury was going to kill him. Another girl her age with short dark hair and a scowl was clearly pretending to ignore the conversation though Hinamori couldn't help but notice the concerned gaze she shot Ichigo every once in awhile if he put too much weight on his ankle. A scruffy black haired man was lying on the ground next to the second girl, nursing a bloody nose and a rather large goose egg. Since no one else seemed concerned by the spectacle, Momo decided she shouldn't be either and instead looked around for Matsumoto and the others.

She hadn't been looking long when something crashed into her back and she suddenly found her head enveloped in something rather squishy. Grinning she detangled herself and turned around to see Rangiku beaming at her, Rukia and Orihime making their way over as well.

"You did great!" the busty girl exclaimed, enveloping Hinamori in yet another stifling hug. Momo hugged her back for a moment before she pulled away, needing to resurface for air.

"Thanks!" she replied, waving to Rukia and Orihime as they caught up.

"Those guys are all assholes, I'm glad you won," Rukia told her with a smile. Orihime nodded before frowning and glancing over to where Ichigo was still standing with the strange trio.

"I hope Ichigo will be okay though," she said quietly. Rukia scoffed.

"Don't worry about that idiot. Give him a day and he'll be back to his regular stubbornly stupid self," she responded. Momo laughed out loud at this comment, knowing the small girl to be right.

"Besides, Yuzu won't leave him alone until she's certain he's fine," Matsumoto said, her eyes sparkling with amusement.

"Yuzu?" Momo asked.

"His little sister," Orihime told her. "Yuzu's the short haired one, Karin has the black hair, and his dad is the funny one with the bump on his head."

"Hey Hinamori!" Momo glanced over to see Renji and Hisagi walking towards them, shirts discarded and duffel bags slung over their shoulders. Momo waved while Matsumoto about faced and pranced over to them.

"Soooo ice cream yes?" she chirped, looking up at Hisagi expectantly. The boy blinked.

"Uh, well I…"

"Yay! So it's settled!" Rangiku finished, cutting him off and slinging an arm around his shoulders. "Everyone's coming right?"

"Oh of course! Ice cream with pickles, sprinkles, and chocolate syrup is my favorite!" Orihime agreed, clapping her hands together, eyes sparkling.

"P-pickles…?" Hinamori asked while Rukia pulled a face.

"Would you like to try some when we get there?" the orangette inquired, turning to Momo with a dazzling smile.

"Umm…" Hinamori trailed off, not wanting to hurt the girls feelings by saying no but at the same time not wanting pickles anywhere near her ice cream.

"We'll see when we get there," Rangiku cut in, coming to the rescue. Momo shot her a grateful smile, resisting the urge to wipe a relieved hand across her brow.

"I guess I can drive one car," Renji offered, glancing around the group and shrugging his shoulders.

"I'll go round up the others," Matsumoto said, turning back to where the rest of the team was still milling about.

"To the car!" Rukia shouted, suddenly dashing forward and leaping none to gracefully onto Renji's back. The redhead stumbled a bit and practically dropped his bag before getting a better grip on the girl and shooting her an exasperated look. Rukia pulled back from him a bit, giving him a light bonk on the head with her fist.

"You're all sweaty," she stated, attempting to squirm down but the redhead held her fast, an evil grin playing onto his lips.

"Oh hell no. You're stuck now," he said, clearly with no intention of letting his captive free. Momo laughed, watching as Rukia fruitlessly pounded her fists against the redhead's back and Orihime danced up and down on her toes, clearly unsure who to assist in this predicament. Shaking her head Hinamori turned in the direction Rangiku had headed and immediately felt her heart fall into her stomach.

Hitsugaya's father was rapidly making his way over to where his son was standing, his eyes narrowed, an angry scowl twisted across his face.

…

Yaaaay so its finally finished. Sorry guys I've been having nasty writers blocks lately that has been making it ridiculously impossible to write anything I like… ugh. In any case this story is now one year old! Happy birthday Frozen Secret! Weird huh? For all of you who have been with me since the beginning thanks so much for your support and for all of you who have progressively joined us thanks so much to you too!

Soo about two weeks ago now I went to Anime Central in Rosemont Chicago as Matsumoto Rangiku and had an awesome time! I got two sweet posters, a lot of stickers, and key chains! He he yay! :D In any case thanks so much for reading and supporting Frozen Secret and putting up with my stupid delays… You're all awesome!

~Phoenix


	27. Somewhere Only We Know

A/N: Hey all! So doing my best to update more frequently as it is summer vacation! So without further ado…

…..

It took about two seconds for Hitsugaya's mood to plummet as he saw his father marching over to him, his expression like thunder, eyes flashing dangerously. Clearly there was no getting out of this one. Taking a deep breath Toshiro turned to face the man, hoping that this time at least he wouldn't cause too big of a scene.

"There you are! I have some things I'd like to say to you!" Kazuo hissed once he was within hearing distance.

"We have to talk now?" Toshiro responded, glancing over to where his friends were standing awkwardly a couple of feet away.

"Don't try to weasel your way out of this one. I've been trying to talk with you all week and you've managed to slither away every time," the older man responded, going so far as to place a restraining hand none to gently on the other's shoulder. Toshiro glared up at him, his stormy teal eyes boring holes into Kazuo's dark brown ones. Finally he pulled away, taking a step or two backwards before leaning down to grab his duffel bag and slinging it over his shoulder.

"If you're going to be like this let's at least go somewhere else to talk," Hitsugaya muttered, turning on his heel and beginning to walk towards the parking lot. Kazuo's fists clenched, his mouth opening and closing several times as he tried to think of a decent reply and finding none. Feeling his cheeks flush angrily he glared around at the many spectators that were cautiously glancing his way before stomping off after the boy's retreating back.

Kazuo's sleek red Ferrari was hard to miss among the jumble of student cars and Toshiro paused outside it, waiting none too excitedly for the other man to catch up. It didn't take long and Hitsugaya couldn't help mentally bracing himself for the verbal lashing he was bound to be receiving any time now. There was a bit of a pause in which Kazuo merely stared at the younger man, his arms crossed over his chest while his mouth was pulled into a sour scowl. Finally he shifted his weight and spoke, voice strained by the effort it was taking to maintain control.

"What is it going to take for you to hang out with that girl?" he asked quietly. Toshiro frowned. That girl?…Oh. Kaori. Immediately the breath whooshed from his lips and he snorted.

"I'm not going to spend time with a banshee because it'll make you look good," he responded shortly, causing Kazuo to visibly bristle, his face darkening to a deep plum.

"Have you forgotten that I'm the one supporting you? I'm paying for your selfish ass and you'd better respect me for it. You spending time with that girl will give me a bigger pay check which I can use to keep you in top notch shit holes like this one. You'd be benefiting yourse-"

"No, I wouldn't. There's nothing you can say or do that would make me want to hang out with that girl and if that's all you came here to say then this conversation is over," Toshiro hissed before turning and stalking back towards where his teammates were waiting. Kazuo's fists clenched and he stalked after the boy, grabbing his shoulder and spinning him around.

"And where do you get off talking to your father that way?" he spat, his expression absolutely livid. Toshiro stared back at him coolly before stepping easily out of his grip.

"I don't know why you keep saying that. You and I both know you're not my real father," he muttered. Kazuo's eyes flashed and his face, if possible, purpled even more.

"Fine. Fine! But that doesn't change the fact that I am your guardian and should be treated with the respect I'm owed for putting up with you all these years!" he raged. Toshiro merely shrugged before turning around again and once more heading off towards the bleachers. This time Kazuo watched him go, his rat like eyes infuriated, his hands clenching and unclenching as though they were wrapping themselves around the little bastard's neck and slowly…slowly…squeezing… Getting a grip on himself he reached into the pocket of his pants and pulled a black cell phone out, immediately pressing down one of the numbers and bringing it to his ear.

"Hello," said a silky male voice on the other end.

"It's not working. The little idiot refuses to spend any time whatsoever with the girl. Any use she has is completely spent," Kazuo snapped, sliding into his car and slamming the door shut behind him. There was a tiny chuckle on the other line before the speaker spoke again.

"I assumed as much. You can't expect someone with rocks for brains to be very effective," he said. Kazuo frowned and opened his mouth but paused as the other man continued to speak. "But it's of little consequence. I've already learned quite enough about the boy without that brat's help and it shouldn't take much longer before everything is ready to be set in motion. When the time comes I do expect you to keep up your end of the deal. It would be unfortunate if things were to get messy…" Kazuo swallowed, a tiny bead of sweat dripping down his face and onto his freshly dry cleaned black pants.

"O-of course not. You don't have to worry about that," he replied.

"Good," said the other before there was a soft click and the line went dead. Kazuo slowly brought the phone away from his ear, his heart beating unusually quickly. There was no way he was going to mess anything else up…

…

The crowds around the bleachers and the fields had thinned out by the time Hitsugaya returned from speaking with his father, the excitement from the game having died down as people went their separate ways. Seeing no point in sticking around he turned tomake his way back towards the dorm when he saw Hinamori sitting on one of the lower bleachers, her chin cupped in her palms, eyes staring unfocused at the ground beneath her feet. Frowning he took a couple of steps forward, the motion obviously catching her eye as she suddenly started, her gaze shooting up to meet his. Immediately a relieved smile broke out on her face and she hopped to her feet, jogging the rest of the way over to him. There was a slight pause before Hitsugaya shook his head, raising an eyebrow at her.

"What are you still doing here?" he asked. Momo grinned sheepishly at him, a rather nervous giggle escaping her lips.

"Everyone went to Urahara's to celebrate the win but…" she trailed off, chewing her lip nervously.

"But…" Hitsugaya prompted.

"But I wanted to wait for you," Hinamori finished, for once glancing up to look him in the eye. A small smile found its way to Toshiro's lips and he shook his head, glancing off in the direction of the little café.

"You didn't have to do that," he said to her. Momo shrugged.

"I know," was all she said. A silence followed this remark as the roommates stood there, both strangely unsure of what to say. Finally the girl glanced nervously back up at the other, a slight tremble to her voice as she asked:

"Is everything okay?" Hitsugaya blinked, his teal eyes roving back to meet her own chocolate ones. Shaking his head he chuckled, knowing he shouldn't be surprised that she was concerned.

"Yeah, everything's okay," he responded. Momo frowned.

"Alright… but are you okay?" Toshiro was about to tell her that yes he was in fact perfectly fine, but one look in her eyes stopped him. It was obvious that she was genuinely concerned for him and because of this would not accept some half assed excuse, nor would she believe one. In two seconds he'd made up his mind.

"Come on, let's get out of here," he said. Momo blinked, clearly not expecting that response.

"What?" she asked.

"Just come on," he told her, beginning to walk in the direction of his car. He was glad when she fell into step beside him yet the confused expression on her face made it obvious that she had no idea what was going on. Not that he could blame her. This was a rather spur of the moment impulse and he didn't tend to be a spur of the moment kind of person.

"Are we going to Urahara's?" she inquired, glancing over at him. The boy shook his head but gave her no more information than that. Before long they'd arrived at the car and Hitsugaya instantly slid into the drivers seat while Momo took her place on the passenger side. Five minutes later they were flying down the road, windows rolled down, the wind tossing their hair this way and that as it whistled through the vehicle. Every once in awhile Momo shot Hitsugaya a confused glance yet he was content to ignore her and it wasn't long before she gave up trying to get any information out of him. Sooner or later they would arrive at a destination of some sort and hopefully some of her questions would be answered.

As the minutes ticked by they slowly but surely began to leave the urban area behind them, the shops and houses making way for bushes and trees, the sidewalk was replaced with untamed grass, and the people and fellow cars grew few and far between. The sun had begun to set along the western horizon, sending splashes of bright orange color dancing across the sky and making Hinamori wonder just how much longer they were going to drive. Another fifteen minutes passed before Hitsugaya finally pulled off along a side road, the smooth concrete replaced with dirt and small pebbles, causing the car to bounce up and down as they plunged through the rapidly increasing greenery. Before long they came to a small clearing, the dirt road ending as it was fully surrounded by flourishing vegetation.

"Where exactly are we?" Momo asked, glancing around her in confusion.

"Just follow me," Hitsugaya told her, opening his car door and stepping out. Momo followed his example, sliding out of the car and stepping onto the dirt road beneath her before heading after her roommate's retreating back. Now that she had a second look around she could just make out what appeared to be a small animal trail formed between two clusters of bushes, difficult to make out amongst all the greenery. It was onto this trail that Hitsugaya walked, barely hesitating before plunging through the bushes and into the undergrowth. Hinamori followed him, now more mystified than ever. Where in the world was he taking her?

The two hiked for another five minutes, the sun continuing to sink lower and lower in the sky, brilliant purples and reds now joining with the original oranges and taking Momo's breath away with its beauty. She was so entranced by the sunset that she didn't notice the rather large root splayed out across the path until her toe made contact with it and she yelped, toppling forward with the grace of a drunken monkey. Hitsugaya turned and caught her just in time, though not before her head bonked painfully into his chin.

"Stop spacing out bed-wetter," he told her, teal eyes sparkling mischievously. Momo pouted at him, secretly enjoying their sudden close proximity.

"I didn't do it on purpose," she complained. He only shook his head and stepped away though Momo noticed he didn't let go of her hand.

"So you don't fall again," he told her, clearly reading her confused look.

"O-oh," the girl stuttered. "Thanks." The two continued to weave their way along the trail, Momo taking extra caution to be weary of tree roots and other such things before the trail suddenly broke away from the trees and they stepped out to one of the most gorgeous views Hinamori had ever seen. A small beach was laid out at her feet, the crystalline waters of a lake lapping playfully up the sand a short distance away. Every color of the sunset was reflected perfectly across the water's surface, painting a picture every bit as beautiful as the original looming above it. Momo gasped and took a couple of steps forward, slowly letting Hitsugaya's hand fall from hers as she did so.

"This is… this is gorgeous," she breathed, eyes wide as she tried to take in everything at once. Hitsugaya smiled, his eyes not on the sunset nor the lake reflecting it, but instead on the girl standing in front of him.

"I used to come here with my grandma. She told me once that she used to take my mom here all the time when she was little," he told her, taking a few steps forward so they were standing side by side. "When I have the time I come here to think…or to get away from certain people," he added, almost as an afterthought. Momo tore her eyes from the sunset and instead rested them on his face.

"So right now you came here to get away from someone?" she asked him. He snorted, walking up to the water's edge and staring out over its surface.

"Yeah, I guess," he responded. The girl frowned.

"So then, why did you bring me?" she asked quietly. There was a slight pause before Hitsugaya turned back to her.

"Are you mad I did?" he asked with a smirk. Hinamori blinked before rapidly shaking her head.

"N-no, of course not! This is beautiful! I'm so happy that you would show me something like this especially since it's special for your family," she told him. The boy grinned at her before turning back to the lake, pulling his soccer jersey over his head, wading out into the shallows, and then falling backwards, completely submersing himself under water. Momo blinked, watching with wide eyes as he resurfaced, little droplets of water running from his hair down his chest before dropping back into the lake and disappearing.

"What are you doing!" she shouted, approaching the water's edge and wading ankle deep into the shallows.

"Swimming," was the helpful reply.

"I can see that," Momo replied, resisting the urge to stick her tongue out at him. "But you're getting your shorts all wet."

"They'll dry," he answered shortly, flipping over onto his back and kicking out a little farther from the shoreline. The girl flushed as she watched him, her eyes captivated by the way his muscles moved as he pushed himself through the water, his white locks reflecting the fading sunlight. Hinamori blinked, her face flushing as she dropped her gaze, content to cross her arms across her chest and pretend her heart wasn't pounding a hundred beats per second.

"Well don't blame me when you get your car all we-augh!" Hitsugaya had chosen that moment to submerge again, kicking up a wave of water as he did so, drenching the girl from head to toe. Momo gasped and spluttered, wiping water out of her eyes and glaring daggers at him as he resurfaced.

"Alright that's it!" she exclaimed, grabbing her own shirt and pulling it over her head, revealing the tightly secured wraps underneath. Hitsugaya barely even noticed the girl charging at him because for the first time he was seeing Momo Hinamori as she should be. The slight curves of her body were nowhere near the voluptuous level of Rangiku's yet they highlighted her budding beauty nicely, her wet hair framed her face, reflecting the sun's dazzling light while her eyes sparkled with a hidden mirth, her mouth set in a pout he could only describe as adorable. A second later she had charged into him, her arms encircling his waist as she bowled him over, sending the two of them crashing back beneath the surface.

Even being underwater the feeling of her skin on his flooded Hitsugaya's senses more than the waves rippling above his head, doing nothing to help calm his racing heart. He found his arms encircling her as well, closing protectively around her back even as he pushed off from the ground, his lungs in need of oxygen. The two broke the surface, Hitsugaya gasping in a lungful of air while Momo laughed, raining ineffective blows down on his chest with her tiny fists.

"Take that!" she cried triumphantly, bringing her hand down again. Without thinking Hitsugaya caught it in his own, successfully blocking her attempt at a decent revenge and effectively surprising her at the same time. She looked up at him, their eyes met, and Hitsugaya did the one thing that any ordinary teenage boy would have done in this situation.

He kissed her.

Momo's eyes flew open as she desperately tried to comprehend what in the world was going on. She was standing in a lake with none other than Toshiro Hitsugaya, and he was kissing her. Her heart was throwing itself against her ribcage, her face was feeling about one thousand degrees hotter than usual, about a million new questions had popped into her head, and yet all she could bring herself to do was close her eyes, wrap her arms around his neck, and kiss him back.

The two remained that way for a spell before slowly pulling away, their faces equally red, both not really sure what was supposed to happen now.

"What just happened?" Momo breathed when she was able to find her voice again. Toshiro, for once, had nothing to say. He couldn't believe he had just done that and he was having an even harder time accepting the fact that she had responded in a positive way. He opened and closed his mouth several times, trying to think of a decent response when the full realization of their situation hit him like a speeding car. Swearing he stepped away from her before turning back towards the beach and wading his way through the shallows and back to the sand. Momo frowned, biting her lip as anxiety suddenly wormed its way into her heart. Instead of being happy Toshiro looked upset and as silly as it sounded, she couldn't help but wonder if she was a bad kisser after all.

"Um, Hitsugaya…?" she questioned, carefully making her way out of the water and back onto the beach.

"I shouldn't have done that," the boy muttered, still keeping his back to her as he reached for his shirt.

"What do you mean?" she asked. "I'm sorry if I-"

"Don't apologize!" the boy snapped, turning back to her. "You don't have anything to apologize for."

"Then why are you upset?" Momo asked, taking a step towards him. Hitsugaya sighed.

"Think about it. You're a girl pretending to be a boy at an all boys academy. Things like this will only make everything more complicated for you," he said to her. Momo frowned, pondering the statement. There was definitely truth to what he said, there was no denying that, and if things continued this way complications were bound to arise. But even so...

"I know," she told him. "I know that but… Honestly I don't care!" Her outburst surprised even him and he could do nothing but raise his eyebrows at her as she approached him. "Cant we, at least for right now, not worry about everything going on back at school? You said you come here to get away right? So as long as we're here lets not worry about me disguising myself, or any of the things that are bothering you. Let's just relax and, for once, maybe let our guard down a little." Hitsugaya stared down at her determined face and couldn't help but feel his resolve dissolving as quickly as it had come. He was going to have to be much more careful around this girl from now on…

"But-" he started though Momo shushed him, placing a finger over his lips.

"Just for today," she murmured. The boy sighed.

"Okay, but we have to head back soon," he said, taking her hand and gently pulling it away from his lips.

"Alright fine. But soon doesn't mean now so you have to relax for a little longer okay?" she told him. Shaking his head he nodded, knowing he was defeated.

"Fine."

…

The moon shone brightly over the lake bed, illuminating the two figures stargazing up at the heavens from the comfort of the small beach below. Hitsugaya had his arms wrapped around Hinamori's middle who was leaning back into his chest, her head nestled comfortably just beneath his chin. The boy knew he was completely ignoring the fact that they should have headed back awhile ago, yet one look at Hinamori's peaceful face shattered all resolve to get up.

Unfamiliar emotions were stirring in his heart, leading him to do crazy things he never would have dreamed of doing before he met this girl. But he could worry about things like that later. For now he was content to hold her close to him, breathing in her scent and feeling her chest rise and fall with every breath she took. Life had thrown so many difficult twists and turns his way but now, just maybe, things were finally beginning to look up.

…

So this chapter kind of surprised me because upon originally beginning to write it none of that was going to happen. Then the lake scene came and it just kinda happened… I think Hitsugaya and Hinamori were sick of waiting xD SO in any case I hope you enjoyed the chapter! Can't wait to hear your thoughts and opinions as usual. Thanks so much guys, love you all!

For any RenjixRukia fans out there, my best friend StarKidPotterFan wrote a story called Lost a Little Longer which you should check out. She's awesome!

~Phoenix


	28. Thank You

A/N: Hey guys! NEW FANART! For those who haven't seen it yet Chire drew an adorable picture of Hitsugaya and Hinamori from the hot springs chapter. Its really cute, check it out! Link is in my profile as usual J Now without further ado…

….

Momo wiped a bead of sweat from her brow as she rounded the field for her third lap, keeping her eyes locked firmly on the ball she was dribbling between her feet. The girl had discarded her jacket awhile ago, the chilling breeze no longer having any effect on her heated skin. About a week had passed since the lake incident and Momo was having difficulty thinking about much else. The memory of her roommate's warm lips on hers constantly shoved its way to the forefront of her thoughts, pushing less important things like school work and social activity to the back of her mind.

Fortunately, soccer practice had thus far been a welcome distraction. At least here she could completely lose herself in the game, clearing her mind of everything except the spinning black and white ball in front of her. The only thing giving her cause for worry were the graying clouds gathering overhead and the chill wind whipping through the trees, carrying promises of a storm to come.

The shrill cry of Hisagi's whistle broke through her thoughts, bringing her attention to the sidelines where the rest of her team was huddling up. Scooping the ball into her arms she hustled the rest of the way over, finding a tiny squeeze space between Renji and Ichigo. Hinamori took a deep breath, dong her best to keep her eyes trained stubbornly on Hisagi and not on the white haired young man beside him. She knew the minute her eyes slipped it would take a huge conscious effort on her part to get her mind focused again.

"Alright guys, good practice today," the soccer captain said, his eyes sweeping the cluster of young men standing in front of him. "Everyone take a cool down lap and then get the hell out of here." There were several grunts of assent before the group began to trundle forward towards the sidelines of the field, slowly picking up their pace as they did so. Momo allowed herself to fall back to the rear of the group in order to avoid being accidentally jostled by the taller boys on either side of her.

"You doing okay Hinamori?" The girl blinked and glanced to her right to see Renji jogging beside her. She'd been so lost in her thoughts she hadn't even noticed him approach.

"Of course I am. Why, was I acting weird?" she inquired. Renji shrugged.

"I dunno, lately you've seemed even more out of it than usual. You sick or something?" the redhead asked. Hinamori shook her head.

"No really, I'm perfectly fine," she retorted stubbornly. Renji opened his mouth to say something then closed it again as a wicked grin slowly spread across his lips.

"What?" Momo asked, suddenly weary of the pineapple jogging beside her.

"You met a girl didn't you?" the young man prodded, his eyes glinting mischievously. Momo blanched.

"What! No!" she shrieked, stopping completely in her tracks as she rounded on her teammate.

"Hinamori what th-!" a voice started suddenly before she felt something crash into her from behind, throwing her off balance and sending the ground rising rapidly to meet her. A sharp elbow made contact with her shoulder as whoever was behind her ate dirt as well, this action followed by an ominous ripping sound. Blinking and rubbing her offended shoulder Momo sat up and glanced to her right, almost bolting then and there when she saw Hitsugaya slowly sitting up beside her.

"I am so sorry!" she squeaked, wishing the ground would hurry up and swallow her already.

"It's fi…shit," Hitsugaya suddenly swore, pulling his knee up to his chest and running his fingers over the cleat on his foot. A large rip had appeared on the front of the shoe, revealing the white sock inside. Momo bit her lip, guilt welling up in her stomach.

"I'm sorry," she said again, swallowing as her gaze cautiously rose up to the other boy's face. Hitsugaya sighed.

"It's not your fault, relax," he said to her.

"But I made you trip. It's my fault your cleat ripped," Momo protested. The boy shook his head.

"These were old. I've been playing in them for awhile, I'm not surprised they broke," he stated firmly.

"But-" Hitsugaya suddenly reached over, gently clamping his hand over her mouth, stopping her mid-sentence.

"No buts. I promise it's fine," he told her, a tiny smile curving the corner of his lips. Hinamori felt her face heat up and she felt herself nodding when all of the sudden the sound of someone clearing their throat above her head shattered the warm daze she'd fallen into. Her face reddened even more as she glanced up to see Hisagi and what had to be the remainder of the team standing over them, curiosity and amusement written all over their faces. Kira was the only exception. His face had turned an odd shade of crimson and he was gnawing his lip, suddenly finding the surrounding scenery fascinating as he stared at everything except for them.

"Everyone okay over here?" Hisagi asked, raising an eyebrow at the two on the ground while snickers and sneers broke out amongst the other boys. Hitsugaya withdrew his hand and got to his feet, dusting excess grass and dirt off his shorts before nodding his head and mutely heading back to the sidelines to retrieve his duffel bag. Momo leaped to her feet as well though less smoothly, wobbling slightly as a nervous laugh escaped her lips.

"I-it was my fault. I tripped," she said sheepishly. Hisagi shrugged and shook his head at her before following Hitsugaya towards the sideline, the rest of the team filling in behind him. Momo let the breath whoosh from her lungs and followed in their wake, halfheartedly scanning her eyes across her teammates backs for her roommate.

She found him near the rear of the group, none too gently shoving his ruined cleats into his duffel bag and slinging it over his shoulder. The boy paused, his eyes roving over the rest of the death gods until they landed on her. His eyebrows rose inquiringly and she put her finger up, urging him to wait for a second as she got the rest of her things together. The kid got the hint and he waited patiently as she pulled off her cleats and shoved them into the bag before picking it up and jogging over to him.

"Are you going to the library?" Momo inquired, noticing his steps taking him in the opposite direction of the dorm. The boy shook his head.

"I'm actually going to stop by my house," he responded. Hinamori cocked a brow.

"How come?" she inquired. Hitsugaya glanced over at her, his mouth quirking into a smirk.

"Extra pair of cleats," he replied. The girl immediately flushed, her eyes dropping down to the shoes on her feet.

"Oh," she squeaked. Her roommate paused, a contemplative expression on his face.

"Want to come with?" he asked. Hinamori's head shot up, her startled brown eyes meeting his amused teal ones.

"R-really?" she stuttered, the question catching her completely off guard. Hitsugaya shrugged.

"The house should be empty so we wouldn't have to put up with…anybody," he muttered, a sour look flashing temporarily across his features. Momo nodded slowly, a brief image of Hitsugaya's irritable guardian passing through her mind.

"Okay," she said shyly. "Let's go."

…

Momo's eyes nearly bugged out of her head when Hitsugaya pulled his blue civic into what could only be his driveway. The 'house' was huge. It had to be at least three stories high, complete with a sweeping staircase, elaborate gardens, and stone statues while a glistening white fountain finished the look off.

As Hinamori attempted to get her chin off the floor Hitsugaya stepped out of the car and made his way towards the front door as though the entire spectacle was as normal as breathing. Taking a deep breath the girl stepped out of the car, trotting after Hitsugaya and trying not to stare at everything at once. The boy shuffled through his keys for a moment before finding the one he was looking for and inserting it into the lock, opening the door with a soft click. Momo stepped inside after him, her breath stolen by the winding staircase, crystal chandelier, spacious rooms, intricate decorations, and gleaming windows. She'd known her roommate was well off but this was something else entirely.

"Hinamori?" Momo blinked, Hitsugaya's voice snapping her back to reality. "You're drooling."

"Wh-what! No I'm-…" she started, bringing her hand up to her mouth. The grin on the young man's face clued her into the joke and she immediately dropped her hands, flushing as she glared at him. "Let's just get your cleats!" she snapped, crossing her arms over her chest and huffing. Hitsugaya hid an amused grin and nodded, starting towards the stairs and trying not to laugh as Momo followed him, her cheeks still tinged red. The girl soon lost her embarrassment however as they neared Hitsugaya's room, her curiosity at what might lie within washing the blush from her cheeks.

The boy reached forward, taking the knob in his hand and turning it, pushing the door inward and stepping inside. Momo followed after him, her eyes drinking in the large window, neatly made bed, small wooden desk and large desk lamp on top. An armoire housing a decent sized television leaned against the wall opposite his bed though it was barren of anything else. It was obvious that most of the young man's personal belongings had been brought with him to school.

"You can sit down somewhere," Hitsugaya told her before walking the few feet to his closet and opening the door to reveal a mostly empty clothing rack with a few lonely hangers and a few more dust bunnies. As the boy rummaged inside for his cleats Momo let her eyes wander to the small bedside table near his headboard and was surprised to see a single framed photograph lying facedown on its wooden surface. Curious she carefully leaned over and lifted the frame, taking the photograph into her hands and letting her eyes trace the details. A beautiful woman smiled at her from inside the frame, long silver hair flowing past her shoulders and framing a pale face with startlingly turquoise eyes, matching her roommate's perfectly. Biting her lip she turned to Hitsugaya only to find him staring at her, an odd expression on his face. Momo swallowed, Kenpachi's words suddenly echoing in her mind.

"_From what she told me the kid's actual mom died about a year before he started coming in…" _

"Um this woman, is she…" she trailed off, knowing she was probably treading on a delicate subject and not wanting to touch on places that didn't want to be touched.

"My mom, yeah," Hitsugaya responded, his voice sounding oddly hollow and not like himself at all. Momo nodded, carefully returning the frame to its spot on the bedside table before returning her gaze to the boy in front of her. A small silence passed before Hinamori stood and slowly made her way over to him.

"Kenpachi told me that your mother…um, that your mother passed away awhile ago, before you even started going to the dojo," she said softly. Hitsugaya made no response, his eyes seemingly locked on the wall behind her. Taking a deep breath the girl pressed on. "You don't have to tell me anything if you don't want to but… I'll be right here, when you want to talk," she murmured. The silence that followed was almost unbearable for Momo, yet she knew he should be the next one to say something. Anything else from her might be prodding too hard and the last thing she wanted to do was push him away from her. Finally a sigh escaped his lips and he looked down at her, a tiny smile lighting his deadened eyes.

"Thank you," he said softly before giving her a light bonk on the head and heading towards the door. Momo took a deep breath, taking one last glance at the woman in the photograph before following the other boy out the door and into the hallway. They had barely reached the top of the stairs when the sound of the front door opening reached their ears and Hitsugaya noticeably stiffened, his hand clenching the railing as Kazuo came into view. The man seemed to sense their eyes on him for he suddenly glanced up, his brow furrowing as he took in first Toshiro and then Momo.

"You bring a friend over boy?" he asked gruffly, not moving from his place in front of the door. Hitsugaya shrugged, making his way down the stairs, Momo following woodenly behind him.

"He just happened to tag along," Hitsugaya responded, brushing the comment away as though it held no real importance. Kazuo snorted, taking off his heavy outer coat, folding it loosely and dropping it onto the chair nearest the door.

"You have a name kid?" he asked, his hawkish eyes piercing Momo's.

"Masaki Hinamori. I'm Hitsugaya's roommate," she responded, surprised at how steady her voice sounded despite the whirling emotions going on inside her. Kazuo didn't respond as his eyes had already returned to the young man beside her.

"So what are you doing here? Paying your old man a visit?" he asked, lips folding into a wolfish smirk. Hinamori felt Hitsugaya tense beside her though he merely shrugged, taking another step towards the door.

"I had to pick up some extra cleats," he said, gesturing to the pair in his hand. Kazuo looked at them lazily before snorting and sliding off his shoes, turning his back on the two and heading further into the house. Momo bit her lip, glancing from Hitsugaya to Kazuo's retreating figure and back again.

"Come on," the boy said quietly, turning and reopening the front door.

"Oh, one more thing," Kazuo said suddenly, his back still facing them.

"What?" Hitsugaya asked testily.

"I noticed that old photograph in your room has been collecting dust lately. Next time you visit you might want to polish it up a bit, wouldn't want your old lady to think you've forgotten about her after all these years," he said, making no effort to hide the cruel undertones in his words. Momo barely hid a gasp, her hand clenching into a fist as she started forward, ready to give the man a piece of her mind. She was surprised to feel Hitsugaya's hand suddenly clamp down hard onto her shoulder, stopping the girl in her tracks. She turned and looked at him, her heart breaking at the expression on his face. Without a word the boy turned and stepped out the front door, barely waiting for her to pass through before closing it behind them and heading towards the car.

The drive back was silent, Hinamori not sure what to say to the boy beside her who said nothing at all. They pulled into Ryouta's parking lot silently and silently crossed the grounds into their dorm and up to their room. Once there Hitsugaya gathered up his school books and shoved them into his backpack, slinging it over his shoulder before briefly telling her he was going to the library to study with Hisagi and vanishing out the door. Momo watched him leave, her eyes trained on the hand he had set on her shoulder earlier that day. As calm as he had appeared on the outside, on the inside he must have been a mess. Back then his hand hadn't felt secure and controlling, but instead as jittery and unstable as a leaf…

…

A crash of thunder woke Momo a couple hours later and she jerked her head off her English textbook, berating herself for falling asleep while studying. Her heart jumped into her throat as another crash of thunder shook the dorm, her pencil almost breaking as her fingers tightened around it. A quick glance at the clock told her it was 10:48 p.m and one look at her roommate's bed told her Hitsugaya had yet to return from the library. It had been closed for over an hour now. Trying to ignore the raging storm outside Momo reached for her cell phone, plugging her roommate's number in and bringing the device to her ear.

She heard it ring a couple times before she was sent to his voicemail and she hung up with a huff of frustration, almost jumping out of her skin as a crack of lightening rent the sky. Swallowing she brought up her contact list, scrolling through the names until she found Hisagi's and quickly hit the send button.

"Hello?"

"Hey Hisagi, it's Hinamori," Momo said, hoping she didn't sound too frantic.

"Hey, what's going on?" the young man asked, clearly more than a little surprised at the hour of the call.

"Um, Hitsugaya's not with you right now is he?" she asked.

"No, he left awhile ago," Hisagi answered. "Why, is everything okay?" Momo bit her lip, once more casting her eyes out the window to where the rain was throwing itself onto the unsuspecting ground beneath it.

"N-no everything's fine. Thanks," she responded, hanging up before the other boy could ask anymore questions. Where in the world could Hitsugaya be? For a moment she wondered if he could have returned to the lake yet she quickly dashed that idea. Even despite the fact that he was upset at Kazuo he wouldn't go to a large body of water in the middle of a storm would he? Swallowing she picked up her phone again, this time scrolling down until she found Rangiku's name and promptly calling her.

"Momo! Long time to talk, what's going on?" Rangiku's cheery voice was a welcome relief to Hinamori, albeit a small one.

"Actually I was wondering if Hitsugaya is with you," she replied in a small voice. There was a short pause on the other line before Rangiku responded, sounding much more serious than before.

"No he's not here. Did something happen?" she asked. Momo was about reassure her that everything was fine when something stopped her. Clearly everything was not okay and the strawberry blonde might just be able to help her locate her roommate.

"I don't know where he is," Momo explained. "He said he was studying with Hisagi but the library closed an hour ago and Hisagi said he wasn't with him. All the café's and stores are closed now, I have no idea where he would have gone." Rangiku was silent for a long time and Hinamori briefly wondered if she'd perhaps fallen asleep on the phone when the girl finally responded.

"Did anything happen today?" she asked. Momo frowned, wondering how much Rangiku already knew and how much she should tell her.

"W-well, we went to his house to get an extra pair of cleats and he talked to his dad… some really nasty things were said about, well about Hitsugaya's mother and he didn't seem quite normal after that," Momo responded. There was a sigh on the other line and Hinamori could practically see Rangiku massaging her temples with her free hand.

"Okay, don't go anywhere I think I know where he is. I'm going to come pick you up okay?" Rangiku said to her. Momo swallowed, taking another look outside at the pouring rain and feeling her heat seize up with fear. Then her eyes fell on the empty bed across from hers and she squared her jaw, her mind made up.

"I'll be waiting."

…

Momo was gripping the car seat so tightly she thought her fingers might go numb long before they arrived at their destination. As promised Rangiku had come to pick her up and now the two were barreling through the storm, the rain lashing down on the car and the wind threatening to blow them off the road. Several times Momo squeezed her eyes shut, pretending she was sitting back in the comfort of her dorm room instead of here yet every time an image of Hitsugaya would flash through her mind and her concern for him would overtake her fear.

"Where are we going?" she finally squeaked, glancing over at Rangiku who's eyes were focused intently on the road.

"Cemetery," the girl responded shortly, swerving around a corner which sent Momo's heart leaping once more into her throat. Hinamori swallowed, closing her eyes again as thunder rumbled overhead. Three minutes later they were pulling onto a small side road that turned into a deserted parking lot. Rangiku pulled into a spot and turned the vehicle off, peering out the window into the darkness.

"Look, there he is," she said softly, pointing towards a lone figure standing as though stone in front of one of the many gravestones lined up across the path. Momo felt her heart clench as she indeed recognized the figure as her roommate, his hair blowing in the wind, his clothes soaked through with the rain coming down in buckets from the angry sky. Clenching her fists she undid her seatbelt buckle and placed her hand on the door handle.

"What are you doing?" Rangiku asked, her eyes widening.

"He can't be alone anymore," Hinamori responded stubbornly and before she could stop herself she'd opened the car door and stepped into the raging storm.

The wind lashed at her, pulling her hair and clothes in all directions while the rain sprayed into her face and eyes, stinging as it bit into her skin like angry bees. She had to stop herself from cowering as thunder rolled in the distance yet one more glance at Hitsugaya kept her feet moving forward. She paused a few feet from him, taking in his pale skin and wind tossed hair, soaking wet clothes and purpling lips. Her vision blurred as she saw the sorrowful expression on his face, so uncharacteristically broken, the raindrops running down his face resembling tears though his eyes remained dry.

"Hitsugaya," she said quietly, unsure whether he could hear her or not over the rage of the storm. He didn't move, his face remaining as stony as the headstones surrounding them, his body giving no sign that he'd heard her at all. Momo closed her eyes, tears leaking from their corners at the state the young man had fallen into.

"Toshiro…please," she whispered, stepping forward and taking his frozen hand in hers. The boy stiffened, pulling away from her as his hands clenched into fists, his gaze furiously scanning the darkness for the one guilty of the interruption. Then his eyes found hers and his expression softened.

"Hinamori?" he asked, his voice oddly hoarse. "What are you doing out here? You're terrified of storms." Momo sniffed, shaking her head and wiping at her eyes.

"I had to find you," she whispered.

"What?" the boy asked, clearly unable to hear her above the howling wind.

"I had to find you!" Momo repeated, her small hands clenching into fists at her sides. "It was so obvious you were in pain and there was nothing I could do to help! Then you disappeared and…" Lightening crashed overhead and she visibly flinched, hunching into herself as though by doing so she would be safe from the whims of the storm.

"You have to go back, you're terrified," Hitsugaya said, taking a step towards her.

"No!" Momo snapped, glaring up at him. "Not until I know you're okay." Toshiro paused, his teal eyes searching hers.

"I'm fine…"

"Shut up!" Momo yelled, wiping at the rain dribbling down her cheeks. The next thing she knew she had thrown her arms around him, pulling his soaking wet form as close to her as she could. "Please, please just let me be here for you." A moment passed before Hitsugaya slowly brought his arms up, allowing them to circle around her waist and embrace her just as tightly as she was holding him.

"Thank you," he murmured. "Thank you for everything."

…

The hours that followed were bleary for Hinamori. She remembered walking back to Rangiku's car hand in hand with her roommate and returning to their dorm before changing into warmer and drier clothes. She then made sure Hitsugaya crawled into bed before she did and proceeded to wait until she heard his deep even breaths before closing her eyes and preparing herself for the cold that she was sure to receive after being out in the rain. Yet even as she thought this she felt her mattress shift as the weight of someone else was added to her own and the soft scent of mint and pine filled her senses. Smiling she snuggled into Hitsugaya's arms, the anxieties brought about by the storm entirely forgotten in the comfort brought about by his embrace. Yes, even if she did have a cold in the morning this couldn't be more worth it.

…

Yeah, you can all throw things at me now. I'm so sorry… not much else to say. Please read and review anyway and I will update much sooner, promise. It's weird to think that this story will probably be drawing to a close in the next couple of chapters, it's been going on for so long. Don't worry, there is definitely more Frozen Secret ahead, but once again thank you all for bearing with me for so long!

~Phoenix


	29. The Invention of Waffles

A/N: Aaaand so the apologies continue. Guys I'm sorry, I really really am. This writers block is not leaving me alone and is making writing chapters really hard. Ugh. BUT I tried to put a bit of humor in this one so hopefully that helps make up for it xD

NEW FANART! Saileasa drew a marvelous picture of the scene in front of Hitsugaya's mother's grave. So touching! Link is in my profile as usual J Check it out!

…

Momo awoke the next morning feeling happier than she had in weeks. It took her a second to remember why before her mind flashed again back to the lake and then continued on to replay the events of the night before, ending with Hitsugaya crawling into bed beside her, his arms wrapping protectively around her middle. Slowly she opened her eyes, blinking blearily in the bright sunlight streaming through the cracks in her blinds. She glanced over at Hitsugaya's bed to see that it was empty though the warm breath tickling her neck clued her in to his where-a-bouts. Ever so slowly she turned, a soft smile folding onto her lips as she saw Hitsugaya's peacefully sleeping form. It was unusual to see his face looking so serene, the usual mask he wore dissolving in the peace brought about by pleasant dreams.

Carefully Momo brought her hand up, gently brushing pale bangs away from his face, his hair feeling silky smooth on her fingers. He stirred for a moment causing the girl to pause and draw her hand back, though a moment later his breathing regulated and the girl knew he'd fallen back into sleep. Turning her eyes to the bedside table she blanched as the little red numbers swam into focus reading 11:45. In the chaos of the night before, neither she nor her roommate had set an alarm, resulting in their sleeping right through morning classes.

Momo hesitated, her hand poised over Hitsugaya's sleeping form, debating whether or not to wake him. True missing class wasn't high on her priorities list and likely less so in Hitsugaya's case, yet at the same time she couldn't bring herself to draw her roommate from dream world back into reality. Clearly he'd gone through a lot of mental strain the night before and his body was exhausted because of it. With his smarts missing one day of class would hardly prove to be a problem.

Sighing she lay back on her pillow and stared up at the ceiling, knowing that just because Hitsugaya had a legitimate excuse for skipping class didn't mean she did. If she got ready now she would have enough time to make her afternoon classes at least. Yet despite the logical side of her brain telling her to get her butt to class, her body refused to follow suit. Odds were that Hitsugaya would be perfectly normal when he awoke but just in case something was even slightly wrong, Hinamori wanted to make sure that she was there for him.

Her stomach chose that second to make itself known, growling loudly in a not so subtle reminder that she had yet to eat that day. Momo winced, glancing guiltily down at Hitsugaya who shifted in his sleep before opening his eyes and blinking blearily up at her.

"Morning," she said, a warm smile melting on to her lips. "Or good afternoon I guess," she corrected sheepishly. The young man raised an eyebrow and glanced in the direction of the clock, his eyes widening slightly as he read 11:52.

"I forgot to set the alarm," Momo said weakly, watching him carefully for a reaction. Hitsugaya snorted and sat up, stifling a rather large yawn in the process.

"How long have you been up?" he asked. The girl shrugged.

"Only a few minutes," she responded. "I'm sorry, should I have woken you up?" Hitsugaya's mouth quirked into the lightest hint of a smirk as he shook his head.

"No, it's okay," he answered. Momo nodded, chewing on her lip as she deliberated on what to say next. A silence fell over the room as the events of the night before moved to the forefront of their minds. Momo wasn't sure if she should mention anything, aware of the fact that it was probably a delicate subject.

"Do you want to go to Urahara's?" The girl blinked, her roommate's question catching her off guard. Yet her stomach chose that moment to rumble again, answering the question for her. Hinamori grinned weakly and nodded her head.

"S-sure."

…

The usual bell tinkled merrily overhead as they stepped into the homey café fifteen minutes later, mouth watering aromas consuming their senses almost immediately.

"Welcome, welcome! Long time no see," Urahara called, poking his head out from behind the counter and grinning widely at them.

"Hello," Momo responded, waving and flashing the man a pleasant smile of her own. Hitsugaya led the way to their usual booth, plopping himself down, lacing his fingers together and immediately turning his gaze to the window. Momo, used to this behavior, sat down across from him and fiddled with the sugar packets, contemplating whether to go with the pancakes or something entirely new. Her eye fell on the image of a goldenrod waffle resting beneath a mountain of whipped cream while lushes red strawberries cascaded down the side and onto the white plate below. Her stomach gave an approving rumble and her mind was made up. Urahara bobbed over a few minutes later and took their orders, his usual lopsided grin on his face, his striped hat sitting crooked atop his head.

"No class today?" he asked them, one eyebrow raised in obvious amusement. Momo grinned sheepishly at him while Hitsugaya merely shrugged.

"Just one of those days," he responded mutely. Urahara chuckled and wiggled his fingers at them before turning on his heel and walking back behind the counter, his wooden clogs clacking against the café's polished tile flooring. Momo sighed contentedly, leaning back into the soft padding of the booth and allowing her eyes to rove from table to table before finally coming to rest on the young man across from her. He raised an eyebrow questioningly and she grinned, giving her head a slight shake.

"I feel like it's been forever since I was last here," she said, grabbing one of the sugar packets from the table and once again twiddling it between her fingers. Hitsugaya nodded distractedly, his attention obviously elsewhere. Momo paused, once again resting her eyes on him and allowing them to travel from his white hair to his stormy eyes, down to his lips for a moment and then back to his eyes again.

"Hitsugaya are you…?" she began, trailing off as the words she was trying to say drifted off her tongue. He paused for a moment before a small smile found its way to his lips.

"I'm fine, don't worry," he told her. A moment passed before he hesitated again, obviously debating whether or not to tell her something. Finally he sighed, once again turning his gaze to the window before absent mindedly picking up the sugar packet she'd dropped and placing it back with the others.

"My mom…died when I was pretty young," he said suddenly, his gaze still fixed stubbornly on the window pane. Momo blinked, her mouth opening in surprise at the suddenness of the comment.

"Hitsugaya I-"

"My dad passed away before that, a long time ago. I don't really remember him at all," he continued, cutting her off before she could say anything. "My dad was really rich but he never flaunted it or anything. When he died he gave it all to my mom and she followed his example completely. She never made a big deal out of how wealthy we were or made habits of showing off our money. I think half the time she forgot herself how well off dad left us… Anyway about two years after dad died she met Kazuo and for some reason she saw something in him. I think he must have acted differently back then because I don't remember hating him until after mom was killed," he muttered almost as an afterthought. Momo winced at the word 'killed', marveling at her roommate's ability to say it so easily considering the circumstances.

"They saw each other for awhile before Kazuo finally proposed to her and she said yes. I think she thought I needed more of a father figure because I never really got the feeling that she loved him that much. He moved into the house and then a year after that she was murdered," he said, his face suddenly going completely blank of expression. Momo bit her lip, immediately wanting to reach out and pull him into her arms, to get him to show emotion of some kind, maybe even cry a little. But no, this was Hitsugaya she was talking about. There was no way, especially considering their current location, that he would ever publicly show that much of his inner self.

"A week later they held the trial, accusing and condemning some guy by the name of Tosen. I remember going to the trial and sitting next to Kazuo. He was sweating the entire time and, for some reason, Aizen was the man sitting on his other side. Apparently he had assisted in Tosen's arrest in some way and Kazuo wanted him at the trial just in case. I never really figured out if that was the real reason or not but it never really sat right with me," Hitsugaya said. "Kazuo's been my permanent guardian ever since." There was another pause and Momo was about ready to open her mouth when Toshiro spoke up again.

"I should be over it but for some reason I can't stop wondering if they really arrested the right man," he said, his fist clenching a bit on the table top. Momo frowned.

"Well if all the evidence was correct in pointing to Tosen as the killer then it should be alright. They wouldn't put someone in jail if they weren't absolutely sure he was responsible," she said, trying to sound positive. Hitsugaya frowned, his body tensing as he shook his head.

"Tosen was blind. My mother was killed by a gunshot wound directly to the heart. Even with highly developed hearing it should have been almost impossible for him to hit her with the bullet as accurately as he did. There might have been someone else involved!" the young man exclaimed, his eyes flashing angrily as his fist pounded into the table. Momo swallowed, her eyes flitting briefly to the other customers who were now glancing their way, each and every one of them looking more than a little put out. Hitsugaya took a deep breath and closed his eyes before exhaling, his fists unclenching in the process as the tension visibly left his body.

"Sorry," he muttered. Momo swallowed back the lump that had suddenly risen in her throat and shook her head. Getting to her feet she walked around the table and to his side before pulling him up out of the chair and into her arms.

"H-Hinamori! What are you-!" he started, his cheeks flushing a violent shade of magenta.

"Shut up! You need this okay!" she shot back, tightening her grip on him. There was a slight pause before he tried again.

"People are stari-"

"I don't care!"

"…You're supposed to be a boy remember?" Momo's eyes shot open at his whispered comment and she immediately felt heat rise from her neck and into her cheeks. Of course. She wasn't Momo right now she was Masaki. How must this look to the customers seated around them or to Urahara and Yoruichi preparing their meals behind the counter? Clearing her throat she backed away, laughing nervously and scratching the back of her head.

"Y-yeah!" she began, speaking as loudly as she could. "Y-you need this right now…Uh, that's exactly what my girlfriend said to me the other day before she hugged me just like that! I had to show you how tight that hug was because there was no way I could explain it! Y-yeah…" she trailed off, trying to avoid the many pairs of eyes that had suddenly turned their way, Hitsugaya's exasperated expression not helping matters at all. He had finally opened up to her about something deep, something really deep, and she had to go and behave like an idiot.

"B-bathroom," she stuttered before turning and dashing in the direction of the restrooms located around the corner in the rear section of the café. She had to get it together if she wanted to help Hitsugaya out. There was no way she should have hugged him like that, especially not in front of all those people. He was probably furious with her now… Wincing she shoved the bathroom door open and marched over to the sink, immediately turning on the faucet and splashing cold water in her face.

"What in the world is wrong with me?" she asked her reflection though it looked as lost as she did.

"Hinamori?" Momo blinked and turned to see it was Yoruichi who had spoken having just come in the door.

"Yes?" she asked, blinking a drip of water out of her eyes.

"This is the girl's restroom…" the woman said, a single eyebrow raised pointedly. Hinamori blinked, not catching on for a moment before all of the sudden she remembered who she was, where she was, and what she was dressed like. Her face that had been so flushed seconds before now drained of all color and her mouth fell open, leaving her gaping like a beached whale.

"WAAH!" she shouted before sprinting past Yoruichi and out of the bathroom, past her booth where Urahara was just depositing their food on the table, and out the door of the café, leaving the bell jingling in her wake. Hitsugaya blinked, looking from the food to Urahara to the café door, and then to the food again.

"Um, is it okay if I get this to go?" Hitsugaya asked. "I've got the bill…" Urahara chuckled, amusement written all over his face.

"But of course," he responded, his eyes twinkling as he headed towards the back of the store, obviously to confront a very amused looking Yoruichi as to why one of their customers had sprinted out of the store like a child on caffeine pills.

Hitsugaya sighed and dropped his head into is hands, running his fingers through the locks of his hair and clenching them into fists. He didn't regret telling Hinamori about his mother, yet he should have known she'd react like that. Next time he spoke of anything that might produce even a hint of an emotional reaction he'd make sure they were some place far from the public eye. Another trip to the lake might be nice…

Urahara returning with the boxes shoved that train of thought from his mind and Hitsugaya quickly thanked him, apologizing before handing the man a wad of cash and hurrying out the door, his eyes already scanning the streets for any sign of his roommate. He found her about five minutes later sitting on one of the campus benches, holding her jacket tightly to her body and staring moodily at the ground. She glanced up at his presence before immediately flushing and looking away again, plucking at a loose string on her mitten. Hitsugaya sat beside her and the two remained in silence for a moment before the young man turned his eyes to her, eyebrows lifted inquiringly.

"What happened?" he asked, almost afraid to hear the answer. Hinamori visibly flinched before covering her face with her hands and mumbling something indistinguishable into her mittens.

"What was that?" Hitsugaya asked, doing his best to hide the amused smirk desperately trying to break free from his stubborn lips.

"…rng bathroom."

"What?"

"I went in the wrong bathroom! Or actually the right bathroom but-" she stopped when she saw the expression on her roommate's face, the smile no longer hidden behind his stoic mask.

"Is that all?" he asked. Momo shook her head miserably.

"Yoruichi walked in…" she responded. Hitsugaya blinked before an uncontainable snort suddenly left his lips, leading the way for the not so subtle laugh that followed.

"It's not funny!" Momo protested, turning to him with wide eyes. "What if she finds out?" Hitsugaya shook his head, having finally conquered the smirks and laugher threatening to spill over.

"Well you were, I mean, you were dressed right?" he asked. "It's not like she walked into the stall." Hinamori slowly nodded.

"Yeah but…"

"Then she'll probably just blame it on the way you're always acting like you have your head in the clouds. Honestly you're so out of it all the time anyway she probably wasn't surprised you might have accidentally taken a trip into the wrong bathroom," he said to her.

"You think so?" Momo asked, clearly having completely overlooked the fact that he'd basically called her an airhead. He snorted.

"Either that or she'll think you're a complete pervert," he said, not able to stop the corner of his mouth from quirking upwards.

"That's just as bad!" Hinamori protested, her eyes widening in horror. Hitsugaya shook his head before getting to his feet and offering her the box with her waffle in it.

"Come on, let's get inside before the food gets cold," he said. Momo nodded before completely freezing in place.

"The food! I completely forgot! Is Urahara mad that I stormed out? He probably thinks I'm really rude!" she gasped. Hitsugaya shook his head.

"No, I think he was more amused than anything else," he responded, handing her the box as she got to her feet. Momo sighed, letting the breath leave her lungs in one big whoosh.

"Why is today so terrible…?" she muttered, kicking the ground in frustration. Hitsugaya merely shook his head before heading off in the direction of the dorm, having no intention of telling her just how much she'd managed to brighten his day without even trying to.

…

Momo dropped the empty waffle box into their room's garbage can, pausing just long enough to lick the rest of the sugary sweet strawberry syrup from her fingers before returning to her bed and plopping happily onto the comforter.

"I know why they invented strawberry waffles," she said matter of factly.

"Why's that?" Hitsugaya asked, his tone distracted as he turned yet another page in the large biology textbook sitting on his lap.

"To turn bad days into good ones," she responded. "Maybe if Kurotsuchi ate a strawberry waffle every morning before coming to class he wouldn't be such a grouch all the time." Hitsugaya snorted.

"Could be," he replied. Momo sighed, watching as Hitsugaya turned yet another page in the book before jotting down a note in the open notebook at his side, the pencil making tiny scratching noises in the otherwise silent room. It was amazing that he could continue to act so normal especially after telling her something as personal as he had. Despite all the attention it had caused she couldn't help but feel a little bit happy that he had let loose a bit at the café. If nothing else it proved that he still felt something and wasn't completely numb to the past.

Deciding to go out on a limb she quietly stood and made her way over to his bed, pausing for just a moment before sitting herself down beside him. Hitsugaya blinked, his eyes coming into focus as he gave her a questioning look. Smiling at him she carefully reached out, wrapping her arms around his middle and leaning into his chest, closing her eyes and inhaling his comforting scent.

"What're you…?" he began, her actions clearly catching him more than a little off guard.

"For earlier," she murmured. "Since I messed it up last time, I have to try again." There was a moment's pause before Hitsugaya sighed, his tense frame relaxing into her embrace, his arms wrapping around her as well and pulling her closer to him. She couldn't help the warmth that shot through her veins as she felt him rest his cheek against the top of her head, loving the way they seemed to fit together so well, her small frame a perfect match for his own.

Her eyes opened in surprise as she felt Hitsugaya pull away for a moment only to feel his lips brush against her forehead a second later before finding her own in a soft yet warm kiss. She blinked, startled, before relaxing into the kiss, wrapping her arms around his neck and shyly kissing him back. Right then she wanted nothing more than to have this moment last forever. No crazy adults telling them how to run their lives, no teachers shoving books in their faces, no distrac-

"WHERE THE HECK WERE YOU GUYS IN…class…today…?" Hinamori and Hitsugaya leapt apart, the expressions of shock on their faces nothing compared to the wide eyed, open mouthed gape currently occupying the face of Renji Abarai as he stood in the doorway with one hand on the knob of the unlocked door, the other frozen in an accusatory point. Three seconds ticked slowly by before the redhead made a rather strangled sound, turned, and promptly bolted from the door. Less than a second later Hitsugaya was on his feet and sprinting after him while Momo merely sat on the bed, her brain still trying to process what had just happened.

Hitsugaya pounded down the hallway after Renji, taking three huge steps before launching himself forward directly into the redhead's middle football style, sending the two of them tumbling none too gracefully to the ground. Catching his breath he looked the other boy straight in the eye, his fingers wrapped securely around Renji's wrist, driving home the fact that the young man was going nowhere fast.

"And just where the hell do you think you're going?"

…

Okay the end! Of the chapter anyway haha. Well hopefully you guys enjoyed that. I tried to put in fluff and humor as well as giving you more of a look into Hitsugaya's back story. Thank you so much for your patience! You all really are the best! Don't forget to check out the awesome fanart!

~Phoenix


	30. Relief

A/N: *Clears throat awkwardly* So… hello everybody. You may remember me as the author of this story, you might not and I wouldn't blame you as yes it really has been that long. I am not going to make excuses 'cause that would just waste time and space so on with the next, and very very overdue, chapter.

…

Momo was still attempting to wrap her mind around what had just happened, watching trancelike as her roommate flew out the door after Renji, yelling something incomprehensible after the redhead's rapidly retreating back. Why hadn't they locked the door? It was stupid to have been doing something as, well, intimate as they had been seeing how someone could easily have barged in. Someone had barged in! Renji had barged in and now he must think… If Momo's face had been hot before it was nothing compared to how it felt now. Jerking herself out of the post kiss daze she leapt to her feet and careened into the hallway just in time to see Hitsugaya tackling Renji, pulling him to the floor with a rather loud thump.

"What the hell! Get off me!" the pineapple spluttered, squirming this way and that in an attempt to slither out of the vice-like hold Hitsugaya had on his wrist.

"Not until we sort a few things out," Toshiro responded stubbornly, if anything tightening the grip he had on the redhead even more.

"I don't think there's much to talk about," Renji replied with another violent jerk of his arm. "You two weren't exactly subtle when I walked in." Hitsugaya opened his mouth to make a retort though paused upon seeing Momo standing in the doorway.

"It's up to you. However much you want to tell him is fine with me," he told her. Renji's face was beginning to seriously rival his hair at this point and he stared from one to the other, his mouth open and gaping like a fish.

"Look I really don't want to hear anymore! I'm pretty sure what I just saw told me all I needed to know!" he exclaimed. Hinamori shook her head, deciding to speak up for the first time since this whole fiasco began.

"No Renji really, it's all a big misunderstanding…sort of. Please will you just come into our room and hear what we, what I, have to say?" she asked quietly. Renji hesitated, looking suspiciously from Momo to Toshiro and back again.

"You won't do anything, um, weird will you?" he questioned, a bit of an accusing undercurrent lacing his words. Hinamori immediately flushed, taking a step backward and waving her hands in front of her face.

"No, no, no, no, no! Definitely not!" she replied, swallowing and glancing at Hitsugaya again. Renji followed her gaze, looking over at the young man that was currently keeping his wrist hostage. Toshiro met his eyes warningly before loosening his grip on the other boy.

"If you run I'll kick your ass," he muttered, relinquishing his hold and getting to his feet. Renji seemed to take him at his word for he didn't sprint away once he was released, instead getting to his feet and following Hinamori back into their dorm room, looking more than a little bit uncomfortable.

Hitsugaya shut the door behind them before immediately crossing the room to sit on his bed, pulling his Biology text book from the floor and opening it as though nothing unusual was about to be said. There was a moments hesitation as Momo thought about what in the world to say. At this point she either had to tell Renji the truth or allow him to go on believing that she and Hitsugaya were an incredibly unlikely gay couple. As funny as she found this concept she knew Renji believed it to be the truth which, in the end, wasn't much of a laughing matter.

"Well…?" the redhead prodded, fidgeting and looking more and more awkward with every passing second. Hinamori took a deep breath knowing it was now or never. Steeling herself, she took the plunge.

…

Renji's eyes had widened to the size of small saucers by the time she finished her story, his mouth slightly ajar, eyebrows nearly disappearing into his jagged hairline. There was silence as Momo meekly waited for him to say something, hoping against hope that he would follow Hitsugaya and Matsumoto's example and be accepting.

"So, so all this time… you've been… that's crazy," he mumbled and Hinamori wasn't entirely sure if he was addressing her or himself. Suddenly his head shot up and she found herself staring into his wide dark eyes.

"That's why you never take your shirt off at practice! And why you never went into the hot springs! And you had to be shirts on the day of soccer tryouts!" Another pause as the red head frowned, apparently turning something else over in his mind. "When the hell do you bathe?" he blurted, probably a little louder than was necessary. Hitsugaya snorted as Hinamori's face broke into a tiny, amused smile.

"Early," she responded. "Really, really early." Renji nodded slowly, still staring at her as though he had never seen anything quite like her before.

"So you two aren't, I mean I thought for a second, but you're not actually g-"

"No," Hitsugaya confirmed shortly as Momo turned crimson again. Renji let a whoosh of air depart his lungs before shaking his head, a small chuckle escaping his lips.

"I guess you want me to keep it a secret then huh?" he asked. Momo bit her lip, nodding her head and looking at him anxiously.

"If you could…" she responded, trailing off as her eyes studied him apprehensively. A moment passed and Renji remained silent, his hands shoved deep into his pockets, eyes focused firmly on the floor. Finally he looked up again and when he did a small smirk was playing across his lips.

"I'm not going to pretend it's not a little weird, and I'm still having trouble coming to grips with the fact that you're a girl. But I guess, I mean you've done fine so far and you're freaking useful on the soccer field so…" he trailed off and Momo leaned forward unconsciously, hardly daring to hope.

"So you'll keep it secret?" she asked, not noticing as Hitsugaya's eyes left the page they had been scanning and instead rested on the redhead in question.

"Yeah, I won't say anything," Renji replied. Momo's eyes lit up and she immediately threw her arms around the taller boy, resisting the urge to squeal happily.

"Thank you so much!" she gushed, practically jumping up and down with relief. The young man flushed a brilliant shade of fuchsia and immediately attempted to shove her off him.

"Th-that doesn't mean you're allowed to go all girly on me!" he stuttered, backing out of her glomp and nearly tripping over Hitsugaya's soccer bag in the process. Momo cleared her throat, rapidly nodding her head and backing up several paces.

"R-right. Of course. Sorry," she stuttered, grinning weakly. Hitsugaya didn't bother to hide the small smile that had unfolded on his lips as he turned his eyes back to the textbook in front of him. It had been a stroke of good luck that had allowed them to dodge that bullet, yet Hitsugaya couldn't help but wonder just how much longer that luck was going to hold out…

…

Momo shivered as she jogged onto the soccer field for their last practice of the season. The last days of fall were rapidly slipping away from them and it wouldn't be long before winter's icy hand would be fisting itself over the campus. The serious games and tournaments wouldn't be taking place until the spring season, fall was more of a warm up, and the winter conditioning in between was bound to be more than a little difficult. Even so as long as she was with her teammates, Hinamori couldn't help but look forward to it.

The shrill cry of a whistle pierced the air and Momo wasted no time hustling over to where the rest of her teammates were gathering around Hisagi and Hitsugaya, squeezing into a place between Renji and Kira.

"So," Hisagi spoke up, "last practice of the season. Let's be sure to make it a good one." There was a murmur of assent from the players gathered together there, all of them anxious to get moving in order to rid themselves of the chill brought about by the wintry air.

At Hitsugaya's word the team broke off into two lines, weaving the ball through an obstacle course of cones before getting a shot at Chad who had set up in goal. When Momo's turn came around she wove expertly through the cones, spinning the ball from one foot to the other before finally letting it fly, watching in satisfaction as it barely grazed past Chad's outstretched fingers and into the back of the net.

"Nice shot shrimp," Renji stated, giving her hair a slight ruffle as she returned to the back of the line. Momo grinned, knocking his hand away.

"Thanks." The two hadn't spoken much since the whole 'kissing' fiasco had occurred and she couldn't help but feel more than a bit relieved that things finally seemed to be going back to normal. No one else appeared to be treating her any differently so clearly the redhead had kept his promise and not told anyone. Hinamori couldn't help but hope that everyone who found out about her secret would be that lenient, a thought she knew was purely wishful thinking. The only people who knew were Renji, Hitsugaya, and Rangiku, probably the three closest friends she'd made since coming to Ryouta. There was no way she could expect that kind of luck with everyone.

The rest of practice flew by pretty quickly, finally ending with a scrimmage in which Hinamori and Hitsugaya's team won, four goals to three. Two minutes later Momo found herself in another team huddle though this time Kyoraku was the center of attention, Nanao close by as usual, clipboard in hand.

"That was a good warm up season team, well done," the coach said, suppressing a huge yawn before beckoning to Nanao to take over from there. The woman rolled her eyes but stepped forward as though she had been expecting this from the beginning.

"Like Kyoraku said, well done. We'll be giving you all about a week off before winter conditioning starts up so make sure you stay in shape! The last thing any of you wants I'm sure is to lose your spot on the team due to a lack of responsibility," she said sharply. A brief silence followed this statement as several of the players swallowed, quailing a bit under Nanao's hawk-like gaze and not for the first time did Momo find herself wondering just who the real coach of this team was… Kyoraku's amused chuckles broke the silence, the man giving Nanao a couple of pats on the head and thereby succeeding in knocking her glasses askew. Ignoring the glare immediately shot his way, he opened his mouth to speak.

"And I expect to see you all at the Holiday Formal as usual and when I say all of you," his eyes lingered on Hitsugaya for a moment, "I mean all of you." There was a general mumble of assent from the Death Gods though Momo's heart had definitely skipped a beat or five.

"F-formal? What for-" she started but was interrupted by Kyoraku.

"Well that pretty much wraps everything up! Looking forward to seeing all your bright and smiling faces in the coming week!" and with those parting words he promptly turned on his heel and started off in the direction of the school, Nanao following close behind him. The rest of the team immediately broke off, starting up conversations of their own and heading off towards the sidelines to where their water bottles and duffle bags awaited them. Momo blinked, glancing around at her departing teammates anxiously, the words 'Holiday Formal' repeating over and over in her mind.

"Hinamori you okay?" The girl shook herself, glancing up to where Kira was peering curiously down at her, one eyebrow raised in an inquiring look.

"Um, what's the Holiday Formal?" she asked, falling into step alongside the blonde as they made their way to the sidelines. Kira chuckled a bit, rubbing the back of his head sheepishly.

"I keep forgetting you're new this year. The Holiday Formal is a dance generally held during the Christmas season that is attended by both Ryouta and Kaito students. So generally you would ask one of the girls from the other school if they'd want to go with you," he told her, his face suddenly turning a brilliant shade of crimson before he dropped his gaze and mumbled: "But I mean it's also okay if just two friends want to go together. I mean it's not uncommon for a guy and a guy to g-"

"What are you mumbling about blondie!" Kira's sentence was immediately cut off as Renji slung one arm rather violently around the other's shoulder, nearly knocking the poor boy over.

"N-nothing! I was just telling Hinamori about the dance. He didn't know what it was," Kira yelped in response, not even bothering to get out of the near choke hold Renji had on him. The redhead nodded, a wicked smirk spreading across his lips as he eyed Momo.

"Soo, anyone you got your eye on Hinamori?" he asked. "I mean being a soccer stud and all, I don't see how you couldn't get a date." Momo could have punched him. The stupid idiot was enjoying this. The girl attempted to shrug nonchalantly while shooting Renji what she hoped were incredibly intimidating death glares from beneath her slanted brows.

"Nope," she responded shortly.

"Really?" Kira asked, attempting to raise his head above his shoulders despite the strain caused by the location of Renji's arm.

"Yup," she stated, shooting Renji yet another glare which only proved to enlarge the pineapple's grin.

"Well you'll have to think on that," he said, finally releasing Kira from his chokehold before shooting her a wave over his shoulder and sauntering off to join Ichigo and Ikkaku about ten feet to their right. Letting the breath whoosh from her lungs Momo glanced behind her to where Hitsugaya and Hisagi had both paused to exchange a few brief words, chewing anxiously on the inside of her lip. It was silly for her to feel excited about a dance she obviously would not be attending. Once the date was made clear she would waste no time inventing some plausible excuse for not going and then make herself scarce for the remainder of the weekend. There was no way she, as a girl, was going to ask another girl to a formal.

Despite this there was still a small part of her that wanted to get glammed up for the dance and knock the socks off of one Toshiro Hitsugaya. Yet how in the world she was going to accomplish this without being recognized by her friends and teachers was a mystery to her. There was a pause before the girl's fingers closed around the cellular phone she had tucked into her bag and a small smile crossed her lips. It was about time she and Rangiku had a little chat…

…

Okay so I am so amazingly sorry about that INCREDIBLE delay and the shortness of the chapter. It will be made up for in the next! It was terrible of me to wait this long, I apologize completely. I cannot apologize to you guys enough. You're all amazing and I feel awful. It won't happen again, promise! As my amazing readers you deserve better. I have planned the entire rest of this story out and plan to have it finished by the end of the summer so no more crazy long delays, no more writers block, I am getting the rest of the story posted! Thank you to everyone who is still with me and still reading this story despite the crazy lack of updates for so many months. You are all phenomenal.

ON A SIDE NOTE! Couples for the formal are not set in stone. If you would be so inclined I am open to suggestions and a vote of whether Rukia will be attending w/ Renji or Ichigo. Out come is completely up to you guys. As for the other couples, let me know what you want! Majority rules in this case so let me know!

ONE LAST THING! Any Harry Potter fans out there might be interested in a one-shot series I am writing based on Fred and George since they're my absolute favorite. If any of you feel so inclined please check out my story A Tribute To Mayhem and let me know what you think! You all are amazing!

Much love!

~Phoenix


	31. Preparations

**A/N: Hey everyone! Thank you so much for all the reviews despite the huge lack of update for so long! It was awesome to see that you all still cared about this story despite the delay. But as promised I refuse to make you guys wait that long again so here comes the next chapter! Hopefully it will be enjoyed! **

**Regarding dance partners. You guys would have absolutely no idea how close the voting was. Seriously neck and neck, it was insane xD Sooo due to ridiculous closeness in voting I've decided to put a little bit of a spin on the whole situation as kind of a compromise for both fandoms. Thank you to everyone who voted!**

…

Momo swallowed for what had to be the hundredth time in the past minute, staring wearily at Rangiku Matsumoto's door handle as though it might leap up and bite her. She couldn't believe she was doing this. The idea was crazy, absurd, risky, probably downright stupid… and yet here she was anyway. The urge to turn and run as fast as she could in the opposite direction was nearly overpowering, yet Hinamori knew that if she did so there would be absolutely no chance of her return. It was now or never. Taking a deep breath she slowly lifted her hand and knocked three times on the door in front of her.

The sound of movement could be heard from somewhere within the depths of the apartment, rustlings and then suddenly a loud bang, followed by an equally loud curse before the door was thrown open to reveal Rangiku in all her bathrobed glory. Hinamori blinked as she took in her friend's unexpected appearance, her eyebrows shooting up into her hairline. Matsumoto was indeed wearing a fuzzy pink bathrobe, complete with furry white bunny slippers with large blue eyes and rose colored noses. Random strands of reddish hair were poking every which way out of the blue towel wrapped turban-like around her head and a white, pasty looking substance that Momo hoped was lotion covered one half of her face. The hand that wasn't holding the door open clutched a bottle of nail polish and upon closer look Hinamori realized that only half of the other girl's nails were coated with a light, lavender sheen.

"H-hello," Momo said weakly, giving a slight wave of her hand. "Is this a bad time?" Rangiku's mouth immediately broke into a wide smile and she shook her head rapidly, dislodging a few more hairs from where they'd been tucked up in the towel.

"Of course not silly! Come in and make yourself comfortable," she responded, grabbing Momo's wrist with her free hand and tugging her into the apartment, Momo remembering just in time to shut the door behind her. Upon stepping inside Matsumoto immediately sat her down on the couch, shoving a cookie and the television remote into her hands before bustling into the hallway and veering into the bathroom.

"Just give me a couple of seconds to wash this off my face, then I'm all ears!" she said over the sound of the sink turning on.

"Take your time!" Momo called after her, unable to wipe the amused grin from her lips. Sinking back into the sofa she set the remote on the cushion beside her before lifting the cookie to her lips and taking a small nibble. She couldn't help being slightly suspicious of any cooking or baking done in Rangiku and Orihime's apartment considering the many different concoctions the later considered to be edible. Fortunately the cookie tasted normal enough and, after deeming it safe, Momo quickly scarfed it down, licking the remaining chocolate from her fingers once the sweet had been consumed.

"Sorry about that!" Rangiku said, hurrying back into the room with an apologetic smile on her face. She had lost the bathrobe and bunny slippers, replacing them with comfortable looking black sweats and a belly revealing tank top. The blue towel however, remained on her head. Momo stifled a giggle, instead opening her mouth to ask:

"So, do you always answer the door when you're dressed like that?" Rangiku grinned at her, setting the bottle of nail polish down on the small wooden table placed conveniently in front of the couch.

"Sometimes. I wasn't expecting anyone today and I figured if it was one of my friends it wouldn't be a big deal," she responded before a wicked smile passed over her lips. "And if it was a door to door salesman I thought it might be fun to freak him out a little." Momo laughed along with her, not for the first time wishing she possessed a little more of the boldness Rangiku seemed to come by so naturally.

"So," the busty girl continued once their giggles had subsided. "What's up?" Momo hesitated, her fingers lacing together anxiously as she thought about how to proceed.

"Well, I was at practice the other day and heard about Ryouta's Holiday Formal…" she began, choosing to ignore the way Matsumoto's eyes had suddenly lit up in a rather concerning manner. "I thought about it a lot and, I was wondering if I could ask for a favor."

Rangiku leaned forward, an incredibly intrigued expression on her face.

"Shoot," she exclaimed, pointing a manicured nail at the smaller girl and winking. Hinamori swallowed, knowing once the words left her mouth there would be no going back as Matsumoto would allow hell to freeze over before she let her.

"I wanted to go to the formal…as a girl," she mumbled, her cheeks flushing a bright, cherry red. Rangiku raised an arched eyebrow though aside from that she didn't appear nearly as surprised as Momo had expected her to be. In fact she seemed satisfied in a pleased sort of way, as though she had been waiting for this statement to be made since Hinamori had appeared on her doorstep.

"Well of course you do," she said, further confirming Momo's suspicions. "I mean you wouldn't want Hitsugaya getting swept off his feet by some other girl would you?" Hinamori flushed an even deeper shade of crimson giving her head the slightest of shakes. Though there was more to her reasoning, a very small, silly part of her had indeed been afraid of that very thing.

"So you don't think it's stupid, or silly, or too risky?" Momo asked her nervously. Rangiku laughed out loud.

"Oh I think it's incredibly risky," she said with a wink. "But that's what makes it fun." The tiniest of silences followed this statement before a grin finally broke out across Hinamori's lips and she nodded her head.

"If people start getting too suspicious I'll slip out of there right away. You, Renji, and Hitsugaya know my secret already so if I'm with any of you three it shouldn't be as much of a worry. I'll have to be careful around everyone else though," she added, almost as an afterthought. Rangiku shrugged, though nodded her agreement.

"I suppose, though I wouldn't worry so much. That group of idiots are a lot more thick headed than you're giving them credit for," she said to her. Momo laughed as a nervous sort of excitement began to bubble up in her stomach, a feeling that had been rather foreign to her as of late. It had been way too long it seemed, since she had had something to look forward to.

…

She and Rangiku spent the rest of the afternoon together, planning the finer details of what Momo realized was probably going to end up being the most elaborate makeover of her life. Finally, when there was nothing left to discuss, Hinamori took her leave, slipping out of the house and setting out bravely into the brisk, wintry day. Bunches of white clouds had gathered thickly in the sky overhead and Momo couldn't help the spring that had developed in her step, a result of the excitement felt at promised snow to come.

Despite this it was still something of a relief to open Dorm Two's front door, the welcome heat washing over her like a warm bath. Heading up the stairs to her floor she made her way down the hallway before pausing outside her door, inserting the key into the lock, and stepping into her dorm. Hitsugaya was sitting at his desk glancing over a power point on his laptop, his light blue headphones in his ears, the pencil in his hand tapping along to whatever rhythm was blaring from the tiny speakers. Smiling Momo set her bag down on her bed and kicked her shoes off before padding over to him and yanking the headphones unceremoniously from his ears.

"Hey, we need to talk," she said, ignoring the exasperated look he sent her way.

"About?" Hitsugaya asked dryly, making a sudden grab for his captive headphones. Momo held them just out of his reach, grinning wickedly at him.

"Just listen for two minutes okay?" she asked. He rolled his eyes but swiveled his chair around to face her, raising his pale eyebrows expectantly. Hinamori took a deep breath, a sudden case of the butterflies choosing that moment to take flight within her belly.

"I was wondering if you would go to the dance with me," she said to him, unable to help the jovial grin that danced across her lips. Hitsugaya blinked, staring at her as though she had just sprouted two extra heads and a tail.

"What?" he finally sputtered, his eyebrows having risen so high they'd nearly disappeared into his hairline.

"I want to be your date to the formal," she said again, her stomach butterflies having now linked arms and begun to can-can across her innards.

"You're out of your mind," Hitsugaya finally concluded, successfully snatching the headphones from her grasp and beginning to turn back to his laptop.

"No, just listen!" Momo exclaimed, throwing out a hand and stopping his chair mid turn. "I talked about it with Rangiku, we have the whole thing worked out!" The boy turned back to her, a look of amusement mixed with extreme incredulity blatant upon his face.

"Do you even hear yourself? You worked it out with _Matsumoto?_ Since when has she schemed anything that's not on the verge of insanity?" he asked, an all too dubious edge to his tone. Hinamori scowled, refusing to let his incredible skepticism get to her. She had, after all, expected this hadn't she?

"She made me over once and no one recognized me. We would be taking extra precautions this time around to ensure that no one realizes who I actually am! I really really want to do this! I want a chance to be Momo for one night, please!" she gave him a desperate look, knowing she was pleading and not at the moment caring. Hitsugaya stared at her, something in her eyes tugging rather irritatingly at his heartstrings. His lips pursed and he looked away from her for a moment, turning this incredibly ridiculous notion over in his mind.

Momo could tell the young man was weighing his options and, though she knew it might be wiser to keep her mouth shut, she couldn't help throwing in the kicker.

"Unless of course you wanted to go with someone else…" she trailed off, watching with excess amounts of satisfaction as his teal eyes widened and a light pink tinge shaded his normally pale complexion.

"No, of course I don't-" he stopped, taking in the triumphant expression on her face and knowing, with a sinking feeling, that he'd been duped. "But do you realize how much could go wrong? We got lucky with Renji! Not everyone is going to be that accepting!" The grin slowly slid from Momo's mouth and she sighed, nodding her head rather slowly.

"I know that. I promised Rangiku that if things got too risky I would leave and I promise I will. I realize that I'm being incredibly selfish but I want the chance to be with you out in the open, without having to worry about locked doors or listening ears. Please," she leaned forward, placing a small hand on his knee and lightly brushing her lips against his, pulling back before he could respond. "Just this once?"

Hitsugaya's turquoise eyes met her chocolate ones and he knew if he refused, she would go along with it. She wasn't the type of girl that would continue to pester him about something once his mind was made up. The most infuriating thing about this whole mess was that he did want to go with her. For the first time in his life he actually wanted to attend a formal because he knew that this girl would make every minute of it worth it. So maybe, just this once, the reward outweighed the risk.

"You know I'm going to have to make up some ridiculous story about who you are and what our relationship is right?" he mumbled, crossing his arms almost sulkily across his chest in a grumpy look he almost pulled off. Almost. The brilliant grin that broke across Hinamori's lips almost made the whole thing worth it right there as she threw her arms around him, nearly upsetting his poor computer chair in the process.

"Thank you! I promise I'm not going to let you have a bad time! Thank you so much!" she squealed, excitement spilling unchecked from her mouth. Hitsugaya shook his head, glad that Hinamori couldn't see the slight curve of his lips as he wrapped his other arm around her. A moment passed before he lightly shoved her off his lap, turning back to his computer and returning the headphones defiantly into his ears. There had probably been some point in his life where he had agreed to do something as ridiculously far-fetched as what Hinamori had asked of him, yet as the hours continued to pass by and nothing came to mind, he realized this just might take the cake.

…

The following few weeks until the formal passed by in a flurry of nerves and excitement for Momo. The first snowfall of the year had blanketed the school in a fluffy layer of white flakes, making Ryouta's grounds look like something out of a family Christmas catalogue. Fall jackets and cargo shorts had been traded for heavy winter coats, scarves, and long pants, base ball caps exchanged for woolen hats and balaclavas. Everywhere Hinamori looked holiday cheer was spreading like a highly contagious, though desirable, disease and talk of the upcoming formal was thick on the tongue of every student.

This came as something of a surprise to Momo. As Ryouta was an all boys school she had thought they might view the formal as a rather silly concept, though if anything her male friends seemed nearly as excited as she was. They certainly weren't complaining about the increase in the number of Kaito girls that could be seen hanging around Ryouta's Campus after classes let out, clumped together in groups of five or six, winking and giggling behind mitten covered hands.

Hinamori had been informed by Rangiku a little earlier that week that they would be attending the formal in a large group as per usual, mainly consisting of Ichigo, Renji, Ikkaku, Hisagi, Yumichika, Uryu, Kira, Rukia, Orihime, Tatsuki, and Rangiku herself. Chad was going to be visiting his grandfather in Mexico so he would be absent for the formal, and Hanataro had yet to make up his mind regarding whether he was going or not. Hinamori and Hitsugaya would be accompanying them, of course, but the majority of the group members had yet to be informed of that particular detail.

She had told all of her friends the previous week that she would be visiting her family out of town that particular weekend and would therefore not be attending the formal, a fact they had all seemed to find regrettable. Only afterwards did she pull Renji aside and inform him of her real plans, the thoroughly astounded expression she was rewarded with one she would not soon forget.

The day before the formal found Momo sitting in Dorm Two's rather comfy lounge, sitting on a couch beside Hitsugaya, trying and failing miserably to focus on the ridiculously difficult set of problems Byakuya Kuchiki had assigned them for that weekend. Apparently the concept of holiday cheer had completely passed him over for his assignments were as tedious and challenging as ever. Renji, Ikkaku, Ichigo, Hisagi, Kira, and Yumichika were present as well, having situated themselves on and around the various armchairs and wooden tables scattered throughout the room's cozy interior.

"So," Hitsugaya said suddenly, glancing up from the textbook in his lap and glancing leisurely around the room. "Turns out I'm going to the formal with the rest of you." Momo blanched and dropped her pencil, an action that went unnoticed by everyone else in the room as their eyes had risen as one to stare in blatant disbelief at the white haired boy.

"What?" Ikkaku spluttered finally, unsurprisingly being the first of the group to find their voice. Hitsugaya gave a nonchalant shrug of his shoulders, turning his eyes back to his textbook as though he was addressing it instead of the shell-shocked young men in front of him.

"I have an old friend coming into town and she's always been into that kind of thing. This way I won't have to worry about entertaining anyone and she should be happy," he responded bluntly. Momo resisted the urge to palm her forehead, her eyes instead finding Renji's which were glittering with contained amusement. If her friends had been surprised before, it was nothing compared to the shock they must have been feeling with this latest bit of information.

"_You're_ bringing a _date!_" Hisagi asked, the homework laying across his lap completely forgotten.

"A-are you sure?" Kira stammered.

"Is she prettier than me?" Yumichika inquired fiercely, a question that went ignored by everyone else in the room.

"Wait a minute," Ikkaku broke in, a wicked grin suddenly sliding across his face. "I see what you're up to. Hinamori's leaving town the exact weekend you're having a girl over? That's almost a little too convenient isn't it…?" The sound of Renji wolf whistling nearly drowned out the other boy's loud bursts of cackling laughter, all of them completely oblivious to Momo's face becoming a near perfect shade of tomato red. Hitsugaya rolled his eyes, ignoring their winks and catcalls.

"Don't put me on your level," he muttered, turning a page in his textbook and pointedly ignoring any type of eye contact with his roommate.

…

The next day dawned bright and early for Hinamori. Yawning greatly she rolled out of bed, padding sleepily over to her drawers and grabbing a couple changes of clothes from within. She would be heading over to Rangiku's shortly in order to begin her transformation from Masaki back into Momo and, after the formal was complete, return to spend the remainder of the weekend in her friend's apartment. She was after all, supposed to be out of town with her parents, thus making any kind of return trip to the dorm risky and preferably avoidable. Orihime had, conveniently enough, planned a sleepover with Tatsuki that very weekend and therefore wouldn't be around to ask any potentially awkward questions once Hinamori arrived at the apartment.

Hitsugaya was still sound asleep in his bed, burrowed so far under his covers that just the slightest tuft of white hair was visible. Grinning at the adorableness and resisting the nearly overwhelming urge to stroke said white tuft, Momo slid her sandals on and slipped quietly out the door. They would all be meeting in front of the school at 7:30 that evening, Hitsugaya would be coming over around 7:00 to pick her up, and then whatever shenanigans fated for that night would undoubtedly begin.

It was pleasant morning, a little breeze dancing playfully through the branches of the naked trees lining the sidewalk to Rangiku's apartment. A fresh coat of powdery snow crunched cheerfully beneath her feet and the shiver that suddenly ran through her arms wasn't entirely due to the brisk winter air. Five minutes later she was standing on Rangiku's doorstep, waiting patiently for the ginger haired girl she knew awaited her inside. Barely a minute later the door was flung open and Matsumoto was grinning down at her, excitement nearly blinding in her bright gray eyes.

"You ready?" she asked, enthusiasm pouring off her in excessive waves. Hinamori took a deep breath.

"Yes," she responded, a grin of her own spreading across her lips. With a mirthful laugh, Rangiku pulled her inside.

…

**Yay next chapter finished! The dance is in the next one! Hope everyone is looking forward to reading it as much as I'm looking forward to writing it! Sorry the update took a little longer than I thought. I was in New York for a week which was a slight distraction… :P But in any case please continue to tell me what you thought, you all rock! Much love!**

**~Phoenix**


	32. The Dance part 1

**A/N: I am sorry for the ridiculous wait again. School has been rough but now I'm on vacation so hopefully I'll be able to get more posted… **

**Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach. **

…

The day passed in a flurry of dresses, jewelry, hair extensions, and lots and lots of makeup. By the time Rangiku was finished, Momo felt like she had a rather large, sticky mask attached to her face due to the large amount of colorful layers suddenly added to her skin. She could see her eyelashes every time she blinked and bits of glitter kept drifting onto her lap from various parts of her eyes and hair. She wished Rangiku would let her look in a mirror already but the girl had refused her any glimpse of her reflection until the look was complete. So Momo was left completely in the dark as Rangiku added the hair extensions, twisting and braiding the strands prettily before attaching them to the back of Hinamori's head with several rather unforgiving bobby pins. Finally the ginger stepped back, surveying her work with a practiced eye, two bobby pins pursed between her lips.

"Well?" Momo asked nervously, wishing more than ever that she could see what she looked like. At long last Rangiku's face broke into a large smile and she nodded her head in clear satisfaction.

"I've really outdone myself this time. You look fantastic, no one will recognize you!" she exclaimed. "Just wait until you get the dress on!" Momo had been looking forward to this little bit as well. Rangiku had gone dress shopping the day before and had told Momo she had picked 'a little something up' for her. Deaf to the smaller girl's protests she'd guaranteed that it would look fantastic and that if Momo really was worried about the price she could go halfsies on it later. Yet Rangiku clearly enjoyed torturing Momo because she hadn't shown it to her yet, only grinning mischievously whenever the subject was brought up. This, of course, did nothing to help Hinamori's already racing nerves.

"Speaking of the dress…" Momo prompted pointedly, glancing around Rangiku as though hoping the gown might be hiding itself in plain sight somewhere within the room. Yet the older girl merely giggled, shaking her head infuriatingly.

"Not yet. I still have to get my makeup and hair done so you'll just have to be patient. We're putting on our dresses together!" she stated, grinning all the more at the expression on Hinamori's face.

"Fine," said girl harrumphed. "But can I at least-"

"And no mirrors!" Rangiku insisted. Momo nearly decked her.

…

Fortunately Rangiku was already a pro at doing her hair and make up, and she didn't have to worry about fifty million people recognizing her as, well, herself, so her primping didn't take nearly as long as Momo had feared. Hinamori couldn't help but feel a tiny twinge of jealousy at how beautiful Rangiku looked, her eyeliner and inky mascara making her eyes pop nearly as much as her model worthy figure. And she wasn't even wearing her dress yet! Momo bit back a sigh, wondering how Hitsugaya was even going to notice her with Matsumoto standing at her side.

"Alright, I think it's about the time you've been waiting for," Rangiku suddenly spoke up, setting her hairbrush down and turning to Hinamori with a large grin. Despite her earlier feelings Momo couldn't help grinning as well, sliding off the pink cushioned chair she'd been sitting on and following Rangiku down the hallway. There was no denying the fact that she was more than a little nervous about what Matsumoto had purchased for her, yet there was also a rather large part of her that had already been overtaken by excitement. The pair stepped into Matsumoto's bedroom and the girl immediately went to her closet, sliding open the door before unveiling the gown with a dramatic swish. Momo's heart leapt into her throat. It was beautiful.

Rangiku smiled at the girl's open mouthed reaction, her joyful surprise evident on her face. Matsumto gestured for Momo to take the garment and she quickly did, her mouth folding into the largest grin the ginger thought she'd ever seen.

"These go with it," Rangiku told her, picking up a pair of black laced gloves that had been lying on her bed. Hinamori nodded mutely, afraid that if her eyes got any bigger they'd pop right out of her skull. She left Rangiku's room, her eyes still glued to the silky gown in her arms and it was only when she nearly crashed into the wall that she remembered to look up again. Stepping into the now familiar bathroom she wasted no time trading in her baggy, boyish clothes for the gown, pulling the gloves on and hurrying back to Rangiku's bedroom where the full length mirror awaited her.

Matsumoto applauded when she returned to the room, quickly stepping around her and pulling up the zipper in the back. Momo moved in front of the mirror and gasped, barely recognizing herself under the makeup, hair, and glamorous dress that gave her more of a figure than she would have ever thought possible. Her lips melted into a brilliant smile and she turned, beaming to look at her friend.

"This is amazing," she said to her. "Thank you so much!" Matsumoto winked.

"Just wait until Toshiro sees you. That boy isn't going to know what hit him…"

…

Toshiro Hitsugaya pulled into the apartment's driveway at exactly 6:54, guiding his car into a parking spot before turning the keys and shutting off the ignition. He reached out to open the front door but paused, his hand hovering just over the handle. With an audible sigh he flopped back into the car seat, shutting his eyes and pressing his fingertips to his forehead. He couldn't believe he was going along with this. The whole idea of Hinamori even attempting to go to the formal had spelled trouble from the start and yet he of all people had gone along with it. What in the world had possessed him? As soon as he got out of this car he wouldn't have any choice but to go to Rangiku's apartment and retrieve his date, thus starting off the entire fiasco. Maybe he'd just plop the girl into the car and then drive straight back to Dorm 2, not letting her out of the vehicle until she'd changed her mind.

The boy groaned and shook his head, knowing right away that wouldn't work. Hinamori was way too stubborn. She'd climb over him and drive the car herself if she had to or, if worse came to worse, simply break the window and walk the whole way. He glanced at his watch again. The time read 6:57, three more minutes and he'd be late. Hitsugaya grit his teeth and once more reached for the door handle. There was no way he could dawdle here, leaping from one impossibility to another for the next half hour. Rangiku had told him that Hisagi was going to pick her up at 7:15 sharp and there was no way the other boy wouldn't have questions if he saw Hitsugaya's date hanging out at Rangiku's place before introductions had been made. Steeling himself, Toshiro took a deep breath and pushed the car door open, stepping onto the newly fallen snow with a soft crunch.

The wintry air was quite brisk despite the warmth provided by his tux jacket and Toshiro resisted the urge to hug himself as he hurried up the steps to Rangiku's front door. He paused in front of it, annoyed that the butterflies had chosen this point to suddenly assault his stomach. What was he nervous for? Hitsugaya swallowed and knocked on the door before he could second guess himself again, plunging his hands into his pockets and staring stubbornly at his shoes.

After several painful moments he finally heard movement within the apartment and a second later the door was thrown open to reveal Rangiku in all her formal glory. She was wearing a strapless red dress which traveled all the way to the floor, the gown clinging to her body and doing an excellent job of accenting her curvy figure. The scarlet fabric had a slit running from her mid thigh to the ground on both sides, drawing attention to her strapping black heels and painted toe nails. Her ginger locks flowed down her back in perfect curls, framing her perfectly made up face and glittering eyes nicely.

"Welcome!" she said excitedly, ruby lipstick highlighting her brilliant smile even more. Hitsugaya nodded to her and stepped inside, glancing around the room as though expecting to see his roommate hiding in a corner, or lounging on the couch. Rangiku however, wasn't going to let him off that easily. She frowned and gave him a light smack to the back of the head, quickly crossing her arms over her chest before the young man could swat her hand away.

"What was that for?" he asked, rubbing his head and glaring at the other girl.

"Your incredible lack of manners, obviously," Rangiku retorted, now planting her fists on either side of her curvy hips. "You don't just walk past a lady when she has gotten herself all dolled up. Clearly the first thing you do after greeting said lady, which you didn't do either by the way, is compliment her on her ravishing appearance!" Hitsugaya blinked at her, knowing he probably should have expected something like this from the start. Rangiku raised her eyebrow when he didn't say anything and then, before he knew what had happened, her hands were on his shoulders and she was pushing him out the front door.

"Let's try this again!" she stated, releasing her hold on him and shutting the front door in his face before he could react.

"What the hell?" Toshiro exclaimed. "Matsumoto open the door!"

"You have to knock first."

Toshiro took a deep breath, urging his temper to return to a safer level and resisting the urge to turn tail, walk back into his car, and drive away. Swallowing his already bruised pride he raised and hand and for the second time and rapped his knuckles on the door. Matsumoto opened it again, the smile back on her face.

"Welcome!" she said again before giving him a piercing, and expectant, look.

"Thanks," he muttered, making a move to go inside. Rangiku however, didn't budge. Toshiro glared at her yet she merely grinned at him.

"And then…" she prodded, obviously enjoying herself way too much. Toshiro scowled.

"Y-you look nice," he grumbled, more to his shoes than to the attractive girl in front of him. Rangiku sighed and shook her head but finally stepped aside, allowing him entrance to the apartment.

"Better, but you've still got a lot to learn," she informed him. Hitsugaya however, ignored the comment.

"So is Hinamori here?" he asked, once more glancing around the room for any sign of his roommate. Rangiku smiled at him, if possible looking even more excited than before. Then, before he could stop her she called:

"Momo! Your knight in shining armor is finally here!"

Toshiro reddened but before he could turn to tell her off Momo stepped into the hallway and his heart stopped. She was beautiful. Her dress was a light purple silk that flowed all the way down to her feet, the ends fanning out elegantly when they met the carpet. The straps were thin and the neck line low, the middle folds of fabric brought together by crisscrossing strands of black ribbon woven into an intricately beaded front. Black gloves stretched from just above her elbows down to her wrists, coming to a point on the middle knuckle of each hand and held there by a silver ring. Wavy bead patterns were sewn into the gloves as well, making them sparkle nearly as much as the dress itself. Her silky black hair had somehow been done up into an elegant bun, her bangs sweeping to the side and curled strands of hair framing her face beautifully on both sides. Heavy eyeliner traced the outline of her eyes, accentuated by bursts of lavender and silver shadow on her eyelids and polished off with a light layer of glitter. Her lips were glossy and shining and Hitsugaya had the sudden urge to march up to her and kiss them.

"Come on, turn around for us," Rangiku spoke up, her eyes sparkling mischievously. Momo quickly did so, the back of the dress consisting of crisscrossing straps that covered her otherwise bare back, coming down to rest on her hips where it again met neatly woven black beading. When she was facing them again Momo looked at Toshiro nervously, her cheeks a light shade of pink that wasn't completely due to the blush sheen covering them.

"How do I look?" she asked, a slight apprehensive air to her tone. Hitsugaya opened his mouth to respond, failed, cleared his throat and tried again.

"Amazing. You look beautiful," he murmured. Hinamori's face broke into a smile and she moved toward him shyly.

"You don't look so bad yourself," she responded quietly, reaching up to straighten the light blue tie around his neck. Toshiro flushed and muttered something incomprehensible even to him. Rangiku grinned as well, glanced at the clock on her wall, and blanched.

"Alright love birds, time to get out of my apartment!" she said quickly. "Hisagi's going to be here any minute." Momo ignored Hitsugaya's protesting squawk and turned back to Rangiku, giving the girl a brief hug before backing away again.

"Thank you so much. For everything!" she said. The ginger winked and nodded at her, waving at them until they disappeared out the door.

…

Momo sat in Toshiro's car, doing her best to avoid staring at him. The tuxedo suited him so well and she loved how the teal sheens of his tie accented his eyes. She also couldn't help getting a kick out of the slight tinge that flushed his cheeks whenever he looked at her. That fact alone was definitely complimentary.

Minutes later they pulled into Ryouta's student parking lot, joining the large number of vehicles already there. Momo took a deep breath, staring out at the many students weaving through the motionless vehicles and making their way to the gymnasium where the formal was being held.

"Are you nervous?" Toshiro asked her, teal eyes meeting her chocolate ones. Hinamori swallowed.

"I'm be lying if I didn't say I was a little apprehensive," she responded. "But mostly I'm just excited be here with you as Momo and not Masaki." Hitsugaya's gaze softened and he nodded, surprising her by leaning forward and pushing his lips to hers. Then, before Momo had finished enjoying it, he pulled away and stepped out of his car, actually going around to the other side and opening the door for her. Momo blushed even deeper and took his outstretched hand, allowing him to pull her out of the vehicle and onto the snowy pavement.

"No one will recognize you," he said softly, holding her close to him for the briefest of moments. "Tonight will be perfect. I promise." Momo could only nod, having to expend most of her energy towards keeping her knees from giving out. Toshiro smiled and stepped away from her, offering the girl his arm in a very gentlemanly fashion. Momo grinned at him and took it and together the two headed towards the building.

Hinamori gasped as they stepped inside the gymnasium's large interior. It was like entering another world. Sparkling silver snowflakes had been hung from the rafters above, reflecting the glinting light of numerous strands of Christmas lights hanging in rows around the room. Actual Christmas trees bordered the walls, tufts of fake snow had been sprinkled over them while glittering glass icicles and candles with fake flames winked merrily at the students milling across the floor. A stage had been set up against the far wall where a band of performers were already well into their first number. Concessions were along the far left wall, assortments of cookies, chips, crackers, soda, punch, and other holiday treats laying across the table's surface in various mouthwatering assortments.

"This is amazing," Momo breathed, wishing she had two more pairs of eyes so she could take everything in at once. Hitsugaya was about to reply when he was interrupted by the sound of someone calling his name.

"Hey Hitsugaya, over here!" The pair glanced over to see Ichigo, Rukia, Renji, and Orihime walking towards them, Ichigo waving with a half eaten cookie already in his hand. Momo took a deep breath.

"Here goes," she whispered and quickly followed Toshiro over to the group. Ichigo and Renji were both looking very nice in their tuxedos, black and red ties respectively. Rukia's dress was a black satin halter flowing to the ground, a twisting silver border around the neckline. Orihime's gown was a rose pink with a plunging neckline, the fabric complimenting her curves nearly as well as Rangiku's had. The orange haired female gasped upon their arrival.

"Is this your date Hitsugaya?" she asked curiously. Renji glanced up and nearly dropped the punch in his hand. Toshiro however, nodded.

"Everyone this is-"

"Momo," the girl interrupted him, grinning broadly at them all. "Its good to meet you." They all nodded their assent, Renji seemed to be having trouble piecing together a sentence but Orihime spoke up right away.

"You look absolutely amazing! Hitsugaya's lucky he has such a beautiful date, isn't he guys?" she inquired, glancing at her three companions. Ichigo and Rukia nodded, trying and failing to hide amused smiles at the other girl's enthusiasm. Renji looked as though he might have broken two ribs already from trying not to laugh.

"Haven't seen Rangiku or Hisagi yet have you?" Ichigo asked. Momo nearly said they hadn't but caught herself just in time. 'Momo' wouldn't have met either of those two yet and it wouldn't make much sense if she just happened to know who the strawberry was referring to.

"Not yet," Toshiro replied. "But-"

"So, decided to show your ugly mugs after all did you?"

The group turned to see Ikkaku, who had spoken, Yumichika, and Kira making their way across the dance floor towards them, all save Yumichika already laden down with sweets. Ichigo snorted.

"Why don't you go talk to decoration committee, eh Ikkaku? I'm sure they'd love to use your head as an ornament," he retorted with a grin. "It's definitely shiny enough." Everyone laughed as Ikkaku spluttered indignantly, glaring around at them all before his eyes landed on Momo. She swallowed. _Calm down_, she told herself. _He doesn't know its you. _Orihime, catching the direction of his gaze, immediately grinned and spoke up.

"Everyone this is Momo! Momo this is Ikkaku, Yumichika, and Kira!" she introduced, the brilliant smile not leaving her face for a second. Momo smiled at them all, an odd sensation in her stomach as she was introduced to her friends for a second time.

Yumichika was giving her a scrutinizing look and Momo had the distinct feeling his was comparing her appearance to his. Frowning she peered at him closer. Was that eyeliner? Kira on the other hand was staring at her as though he had never seen anything quite like her.

"W-wonderful to meet you!" he stammered, extending his hand towards her rather more exuberantly than expected. Momo stifled a giggle but took it all the same.

"You too!" she responded chirpily, trying very hard not to laugh as Kira's eyes sparkled. This was _bizarre. _

"Looks like Rangiku and Hisagi made it," Renji spoke up suddenly, gesturing towards the door where the pair had indeed just stepped inside, brushing bits of snow from their hair and shoulders. As the group migrated across the dance floor towards them Momo suddenly found herself standing beside the pineapple himself. The redhead grinned and leaned down to murmur in her ear:

"You clean up pretty nicely after all." Hinamori rolled her eyes and gave the taller boy a light punch to the shoulder that went unnoticed by the others in the group. Renji laughed and said something else but what it was Momo never found out. Instead her eyes had landed on two people standing together on the far side of the room and a stranger pair she couldn't have imagined. Kaori, the red haired terror herself, and Aizen, her _English teacher, _were speaking quietly together as though they knew each other, as though they'd known each other for awhile. Momo frowned. What in the world was going on?

…

**Alright and that is where I'll leave you for now. The dance concludes in the next chapter and then its on to the climax! I know I said I'd finish this story over the summer and I know that it is not finished and it is clearly NOT summer anymore so again I apologize deeply. I thank you, however, for coming back and reading it again despite my updating ineptness. I'll do my best to get the next chapter out before the 23****rd**** when I start up classes again. Thank you all so much!**

**Hopefully Momo's dress was described in enough detail, I know some of you were asking about it. If you need further information let me know! I love you guys, thanks so much for putting up with me!**

**~Phoenix**


	33. The Dance part 2

**A/N: This authors note is directed directly to all of my amazing reviewers. Honestly you guys sometimes your comments make me tear up a little. You are so supportive, so amazing, so absolutely phenomenal that I can't even put my appreciation into words. I've been told by numerous people that this story has inspired them, inspired friends of theirs, some of you have actually drawn images from various scenes, and just the sheer amount of favorites and alerts that I get along with the reviews continues to blow my mind. Honestly you all have such a special place in my heart and I can tell you that without you guys this story would not have been possible. I would have quit a long time ago but you keep me going. Thank you for all your inspirational messages and comments throughout the years. Yes years… wow. So, without further ado, I present to you Part 2 of this chapter ****J **

…

Momo blinked, rubbing her eyes just to make sure she wasn't seeing things. Yet when her vision cleared Kaori and Aizen were still there, chatting away as though they'd been friends for years. Hinamori openly stared as her brain rapidly attempted to figure out the anomaly taking place in front of her. Yet a moment later Aizen's gaze shifted from where Kaori was still yakking away and instead slowly traveled to meet her own. Momo froze as his eyes caught hers, a flush rising to her cheeks at having been caught staring at him. His lip curled in the slightest hint of a smile and he gave her a slight nod before turning on his heel and melting into the throng of students, leaving Kaori gaping behind him.

"It's wonderful to meet you!"

Momo blinked, all too aware of the hand that had suddenly been shoved into her field of vision, clearly waiting to be shook. Dragging her eyes from where Aizen had been standing she turned and found herself face to face with Rangiku, the taller girl still standing with her hand out, mirth dancing in her eyes. Momo swallowed a laugh of her own and shook Rangiku's outstretched hand, Aizen and Kaori's strange appearance slipping from her mind.

"You as well!" she stated. Renji's snort went unnoticed by the rest of the group as the band had just picked up a lively tune and students from all areas of the gym were now gathering in the center of the floor to bust a move.

"I want to dance!" Rukia stated suddenly, a light flush on her face as she grabbed both Ichigo and Renji and powered off towards the dance floor. Ichigo, who found himself tipping over, grabbed Orihime for support who in turn laughed and grabbed onto Tatsuki.

"Come on everyone!" the orangette squealed, allowing herself to be dragged after Ichigo and the others towards the booming stage. Yumichika tossed his hair and with an indignant sniff strode after them, Ikkaku bounding along in his wake. Kira shot Momo a weak grin before heading that way as well, already swaying his head to the pounding beat of the music. Hinamori turned to Hitsugaya, a grin on her face, eyes shining. The young man gave her a weary look.

"No," he stated bluntly before she'd even said anything.

"But-!"

"Forget it. I don't dance," he said flatly, crossing his arms over his chest and scowling. Hinamori let a sigh of exasperation escape her lips and she shoved her hands onto her hips, giving him a Rangiku worthy glare.

"Toshiro Hitsugaya you promised to go to this _dance _with me and there's really no point in going to a _dance _if you don't _dance_!" she told him, annunciating each 'dance' with a poke to her date's chest. Hitsugaya grabbed her hand as she went to poke him a forth time, raising his eyebrows as she attempted to squirm out of his grip.

"First of all it's not called a _dance,_"he poked her in the forehead with his free hand, "it's called a formal. Secondly when I said I would go with you, I was in no way implying that I would _dance _with you." He poked her in the forehead again. At first Hitsugaya thought she might deck him, she looked frustrated enough to. He was surprised however when her lips suddenly curled into a rather sinister smile and her eyes glittered, filling with contained mischief.

"Alright fine," she retorted, shrugging her shoulders and sighing.

"Fine?" Hitsugaya repeated stupidly, her response catching him off guard. Hinamori had given up way too easily. He had every right to be worried.

"Yes, fine," she responded. "But I should let you know that I saw Kaori Ito scampering around here earlier and I'm sure she'd love to find you standing by yourself. Last I recall she seemed to have quite the thing for you." Hitsugaya's eyes widened and he glanced around him, slight alarm blatant on his features.

"Meanwhile," Hinamori continued, looking all too pleased with herself, "I'll just go find some other attractive looking guy to dance with. There seem to be quite a few over by the punch bowl."

Hitsugaya followed her trail of vision and saw that yes, there were indeed a bunch of Ryouta students standing by the concession tables. One of them saw Hinamori glancing their way and winked. Toshiro bristled, shooting the offending winker his best death glare before turning back to the beaming girl in front of him.

"Alright," he mumbled, his reddening cheeks contrasting sharply with the white of his hair. "Let's get this over with." Momo giggled, taking his hand in hers and leading him off towards where the others had taken over the very center of the dance floor.

Unsurprisingly, Rangiku was a sight to behold. Again Momo felt herself feeling more than a little envious as the other girl rocked and swayed her hips to the rhythm of the song, every once in awhile grabbing one of the boys and pulling them over to dance with her. It was no surprise that nearly every male eye in the room was fixed on the buxom strawberry blonde, much to the chagrin of their female dates.

While they had been talking Uryu had joined the group, the skinny young man resembling a four eyed bamboo stick as he swayed awkwardly back and forth to the music. Ikkaku, on the other hand, was the complete opposite. Bald head glinting as bright as the Christmas lights, the young man was dancing so violently that people were slowly backing away, worried they might injure themselves if they got too close. Momo paused, grinning at Toshiro before beginning to move her body to the beat of the music, letting her hips sway back and forth, allowing her arms leeway to do what they wished.

Hitsugaya stared at her for a second, wishing he could allow himself to let go so easily. It didn't take him long to realize that none of his other friends seemed to be having the same issue he was but honestly, he felt like someone had rammed a metal rod into his back. There was _no way_ he was going to move his body like that. Instead he found himself swaying back and forth, his foot tapping out the beat of the rhythm, hands shoved into his pockets, face on fire. What the hell was he doing out here again? Momo glanced at him and immediately burst out laughing, causing Hitsugaya to flush even darker.

"You look like an ironing board!" she gasped between giggles. Toshiro glared at her and stopped moving entirely.

"Shut up! I told you I was bad at this!" he hissed before turning on his heel and beginning to march back towards the isolated comfort provided by the wall.

"Wait!" Momo protested, grabbing his hand and pulling him to a halt before he'd gone two steps. "I'm sorry, here…" And grabbing his hands she began to slowly guide him to the music, attempting to get some of the tension to leave his body. Hitsugaya looked on the verge of protesting again yet he said nothing, allowing the smaller girl to pull him this way and that around the dance floor. Even so he couldn't help but feel slightly relieved when the song finally ended.

"I'm going to get some punch," he muttered. Momo giggled before nodding her head, deciding she'd let him slip away this time. It was just as well for right then a slow song picked up and Momo, flushing, exited the dancing vicinity as quickly as she could, planning on joining Toshiro by the refreshments. She was intercepted however by a tall, goofy faced, brown haired boy who turned out to be…

"Keigo?" Momo stated, before mentally kicking herself. She wasn't supposed to know his name! The brown haired boy grinned.

"That's right babe. You know my name now let me know yours," he responded. Hinamori flinched.

"It's Momo," she responded shortly. "I'm going to get some punch."

"I'll accompany you then, my little peach," Keigo stated valiantly and Momo nearly vomited.

"I'm not your little peach," she replied flatly. Keigo chortled, attempting to shake his hair in what he clearly thought was an attractive way.

"You wouldn't know my name if you weren't interested," he argued. "Clearly you've been asking around about me." Momo gaped at him before shaking her head, pulling herself together.

"I only know your name because Toshiro told me. He was pointing out his soccer teammates and you happen to be one of them," she invented quickly before again trying to shove past him and get to the concession table.

"Even so-"

"Get your head out of your ass Keigo, she's not interested."

Momo blinked, glancing up in time to see Renji shove the hapless Keigo to the side and out of Momo's path. Keigo, unfortunately, toppled straight into Yumichika who had the misfortune of taking a sip from his punch at that very second. Hinamori watched with mounting horror as the punch that had been in Yumichika's hand splashed up into his face, drenching his hair and sending little streams of black and red down his cheeks. So he _had _been wearing eyeliner after all.

"You clumsy oaf! What the hell do you think you're doing!" Yumichika wailed, rounding on Keigo with an angry snarl.

"S-s-s-s-sorry!" the other boy squeaked, scurrying backwards in the wake of Yumichika's wrath. "It wasn't my fault! _He _pushed me!" he retorted, shooting a finger in Renji's direction. The pineapple was doing his best to look innocent, a fact that made him look even more guilty in Momo's opinion. Yumichika however, wasn't buying it. Quick as a flash his hand lashed out, his fingers wrapping around Keigo's collar, a sneer spreading across his face.

"Don't even try getting out of this one. Anyone who attempts to sabotage my beauty must face the consequences!" he hissed. Keigo had time to whimper before Yumichika was dragging him away across the dance floor, to where Momo couldn't have guessed. As long as Yumichika didn't kill him, she didn't feel it was that big of a deal.

"Thanks for the save," she said, turning to Renji with a grin. The pineapple glanced at her and shrugged, shoving his hands into his pants pockets.

"I figured if he'd have stuck around another two seconds you'd have hit him yourself. I didn't want to miss out on the opportunity," he responded, a mischievous grin slinking across his face. Momo laughed.

"Of course not. I do get the feeling though that Yumichika will probably kick his ass enough for the both of us…" she said, feeling a tiny twinge of sympathy for Keigo.

The music chose that moment to switch from the lulling romantic melody back to something a little more upbeat, causing their classmates to swarm the dance floor again. Renji motioned towards the gamboling students with an inquiring look but Momo shook her head.

"I'll be there in a few minutes," she told him. The redhead shrugged in a 'suit yourself' sort of gesture before hurrying off to rejoin Rukia, Ichigo, and the others on the floor. Momo turned and finally made her way successfully to the concession table where Toshiro was still standing, a small glass of punch in his hand, teal eyes trained on his dancing classmates. He glanced over when she approached, the corner of his mouth curling up in the hint of a smile.

"I see you successfully avoided Keigo," he said to her, his grin widening as the girl huffed loudly.

"Yes, mostly thanks to Renji and Yumichika." She couldn't help the wince that briefly grazed her features. "Hopefully he makes it back in one piece…" Hitsugaya shrugged but did not reply, that in itself answer enough. The two stood in comfortable silence for a moment, once more taking in the beautiful decorations, the glittering stage, and their classmates who couldn't have been dancing harder if the world was ending. Finally Momo grinned and turned back to the boy at her side.

"I don't suppose you'd want to go dance again would you?" she inquired, large eyes staring at him innocently. Hitsugaya let the breath whoosh from his lungs, attempting to look anywhere but at her face. He hated when she looked at him like that, it was too damn cute.

"Let me finish my punch. You go ahead, I'll meet you out there," he told her. Momo raised an eyebrow skeptically. "I promise," the boy finished, putting his free hand up in mock defeat. Hinamori, knowing she couldn't ask for more than that, promptly nodded her head and headed back towards the dance floor, hoping Hitsugaya wouldn't purposefully take his time finishing the rather small cup. She had almost reached her circle of friends when a flash of red out of her peripherals caught her eye. Turning she saw Rangiku heading towards to door, followed closely by Gin Ichimaru. Frowning Momo glanced back towards her friends, knowing the smart thing to do would be to join them and forget she'd seen anything, yet the nosey part of her couldn't resist the irresistible urge to snoop. Figuring she could hate herself for this later, the girl quickly pulled a 180 and headed in the direction of the gymnasium exit.

Weaving through the sea of bodies was proving more difficult than she'd initially thought it'd be, and it was with little grace that she finally stumbled out of the gym and into the entryway. Rangiku and Gin were standing near the outside doors, so caught up in their conversation that they didn't notice Momo's rather clumsy entrance. Feeling suddenly self conscious the girl skirted off down a side hallway leading towards the restrooms, out of eyeshot of the pair but still able to hear every word.

"-scary when you're angry. I was rather hoping you'd be past all this by now." The voice was clearly Ichimaru's. Hinamori heard Rangiku snort.

"Over it? You disappeared for years without so much as a word to me and suddenly you just show up, out of the blue, and expect me _not _to be upset with you!" she snapped and Momo could nearly picture her hands clenching angrily. Silence followed this little outburst and Hinamori swallowed, feeling guilty for eavesdropping but at the same time unable to pull herself away.

"Some things needed doing," Gin finally replied. "Ya can't blame me for wanting to-"

"I _can _blame you for not contacting me at all while you were doing…whatever the hell it was you were doing!" Rangiku responded, pure venom in her voice. "And I don't know what in the world could have occupied your time so much that you couldn't call me, _once_!" The pause that followed was broken only by the soft tones of another slow tune, emanating soothingly from the interior of the gymnasium. Gin sighed.

"So I suppose this means ya don't want to dance with me?" Momo wished she could have seen Rangiku's expression as yet another pause stretched between the two, this one rather strained. Hinamori bit her lip and carefully poked her head out from behind the wall, knowing this was probably a terrible idea and yet she was unable to stop herself. Rangiku was staring at Gin, her expression a mixture of anger and hurt, yet there was also an unmistakable longing in her gaze. Ichimaru gave the ginger a small grin and Hinamori was astounded to see not his usual sneer, sly, cool, and cunning, but an actual smile that reached all the way to his crimson orbs. Slowly, almost tentatively, he extended his hand to her. Matsumoto hesitated, looking at his hand warily as though afraid it might attack at any moment. Then, ever so carefully, she raised her own.

"My, isn't this the romantic scene?"

Hinamori nearly yelped, rapidly jumping back behind the wall and nearly braining herself on the smooth brick in the process. Aizen had just stepped out of the gymnasium and was now staring at Rangiku and Gin, an unreadable expression on his face. The man was smiling yet there was something strange about the look in his eye, like all the warmth had gone out of it leaving only cold, hollow depths. Yet Momo blinked and shook her head and the look was gone, replaced with Aizen's normal warm, rather amused smile.

"I was just leaving," Rangiku responded stiffly and Momo flattened herself against the wall as the other girl walked swiftly past. Fortunately for Hinamori, she kept her eyes trained on the gymnasium and didn't see the smaller girl hiding out in the hallway.

"Having a better time tonight than you thought you would I see." This was Aizen again, now speaking directly to Ichimaru. Hinamori heard a snort from the other man.

"Just catching up on things better left forgotten," he responded silkily and Momo could envision quite clearly his usual oily sneer sliding back onto his lips. Aizen chuckled yet made no further reply. Hinamori felt a cool breeze suddenly sweep past her, followed by the sound of a door closing and she could only imagine that Ichimaru had left the building. Then, ever so slowly, Aizen turned to her.

"Eavesdropping are we?" he asked, his mouth quirked in an expression of exasperated amusement. "I could think of politer hobbies to pick up." Momo flushed and dropped her gaze.

"I know," she responded, her voice sounding small even to her. Of course Aizen would be the one to catch her, and he didn't even know who she really was! "I'm friend's with Rangiku and I wanted to make sure she was alright. I saw her and Ichi- that guy leave the gym and I know they have a history-" she cut herself off as Aizen's eyes widened. Immediately she wished she could swallow her words, knowing Rangiku had told her that in confidence and here she had just spilled the rather large can of beans.

"Do they now?" Aizen inquired. "I had never heard of this before." Hinamori flushed a deep crimson.

"I probably wasn't supposed to mention anything! Just, could you- could you possibly, well, keep that a secret? Maybe don't tell Ichimaru I told you…" she trailed off lamely still feeling rather mortified. Aizen smiled at her.

"I wouldn't tell a soul," he responded softly. "And yet here we haven't even been introduced. Would you mind-"

"Excuse me, could either of you point me in the direction of the restroom? I seem to have lost my way…"

Momo blinked and turned in surprise to see Urahara standing behind her, a rather sheepish smile on his face, the usual striped hat perched atop his head contrasting sharply with the dress shirt and pants he had donned. Hinamori opened her mouth to greet him but stopped herself just in time, knowing 'Momo' wouldn't have met Urahara before. Aizen's eyes narrowed for the briefest of moments before he gave Hinamori a small smile and nod of his head.

"Perhaps introductions another time," he said quietly and without another word turned and vanished back into the crowded gym. Momo glanced at Urahara who was staring at Aizen's retreating back with a look of extreme intensity, his usual goofy expression all but gone.

"Um, the bathrooms are right there," she spoke up, her eyes trailing to the blatant 'Rest Rooms' sign above her head. Urahara blinked and glanced down at her as though seeing the girl for the first time. Immediately he gave a shake of his head, his usual grin returning in an instant.

"So they are! Thank you very much young lady," and with the slightest of winks he disappeared into the restroom.

Hinamori returned to the gymnasium, still pondering the strangeness of everything that had occurred in the past five minutes. Gin and Rangiku's conversation, Aizen turning and catching her off guard, and Urahara being there at all had been downright random! Why would he be somewhere like this? And also, she mused, almost as an after thought, why ask where the restrooms were when the sign had been there, clear as day? Was Urahara really that unobservant? She supposed with his rather spacey demeanor and flippant attitude it was definitely a possibility. Still, the whole thing seemed odd.

"Where have you been?" Momo shook her head, quickly dislodging the thoughts currently cluttering her mind and turned to see Hitsugaya heading towards her.

"Um…" Momo trailed off, unsure how to proceed. She supposed it wouldn't hurt to tell the boy what she had overheard as Hitsugaya was one of the few who did know about the rather complicated history between Rangiku and Ichimaru. Still as she told the story she was sure the leave out the part about her accidentally allowing Aizen in on the secret as well. Somehow she didn't think Hitsugaya would be too amused by that little bit of information.

"But I'm still curious as to what Urahara is doing here," she finally finished, leaning back against the wall of the gym and immediately straightening up again as a Christmas light dug into her back. Hitsugaya blinked at her.

"You didn't know?" he asked. Momo frowned.

"Know what?" she inquired.

"Urahara and Yoruichi provide most of the concessions for the formal so it makes sense that he's here," he responded. "I'm sure Yoruichi is wandering around somewhere as well." Hinamori stared at him for a second before slowly nodding her head. Now that she thought about it she supposed it did make sense. It was rather silly of her not to have thought of it before.

"Avoiding the dance floor again eh, Hitsugaya?" The pair glanced up to see Kira heading towards them, a large grin on his face, a half eaten cookie in his hand. Toshiro turned a slightly darker shade of red but merely shrugged his shoulders, clearly not deeming the blonde's comment worthy of response. Momo laughed.

"We were just about to head out there, weren't we?" she inquired, tugging playfully on Toshiro's arm. Said boy rolled his eyes but nodded, allowing himself to be pulled by Momo back towards the dance floor.

…

As the saying goes, 'time flies when you're having fun,' and before Hinamori knew what had happened the band's lead singer was speaking into the microphone, telling everyone that this was going to be the last song of the night. A warm, slow melody softly picked up and the gym went oddly quiet as couples took to the dance floor. Momo swallowed and glanced up at Toshiro who had also begun to turn a bit pink in the face. The pair had yet to slow dance that night and Momo couldn't help but feel her night wouldn't be complete unless something was done to fix that. Yet she wasn't sure, with Toshiro being who he was, that this would ever happen.

Rangiku, she saw, had winded up dancing with Hisagi and she seemed to be holding onto him a bit tighter than usual, her expression troubled. Hinamori watched as Hisagi leaned down and whispered something in Matsumoto's ear, causing a small smile to appear on the girl's lips. Momo couldn't help but feel slightly relieved that the other girl, at least, seemed to be in good hands. Swallowing Hinamori stared at her feet, sneaking another glance at Hitsugaya out of the corner of her eye. The song wasn't going to last forever and if he didn't ask her soon…

But just as she began to lose hope of ever getting that special dance she felt fingers curl around her own and the next thing she knew a furiously blushing Hitsugaya was leading her slowly towards the dance floor. They paused in the middle of the floor and the boy glanced at her, his discomfort apparent as he blinked and cleared his throat nervously. Grinning Momo figured it was about time she took charge. Taking his hands in hers she carefully guided them to her waist before wrapping her arms around his neck, swaying slowly to the music.

"Thank you for coming with me tonight," she told him softly, her voice just audible over the melodic hum issuing from the stage. Toshiro nodded.

"Did you have fun?" he asked, his voice as quiet as hers. Hinamori nodded enthusiastically, a motion rather unbefitting the slow sway they'd fallen into.

"So much," she replied. "It felt really good to be myself again, if only for a couple hours." Another silence followed this comment before Hitsugaya slowly pulled her closer to him, resting his head on hers as they swayed from side to side.

"I'm glad," the boy responded, voice a husky whisper. Momo smiled and rested her cheek against Toshiro's shoulder, sighing happily and wishing that this moment could last forever. Yet the moment, as all moments must, finally ended. The last notes of the song hung drowsily in the air before they were whisked away, drowned out by the raucous applause of the students. Hinamori and Hitsugaya pulled apart, their faces flushed but happy. Hand in hand they joined the throng of students making their way out of the building, all of them talking cheerfully about the events that had transpired that night and comparing it to formals from past years. It had begun to snow and little white flakes floated down from the heavens above, landing on their faces and hair like little wet kisses.

Momo and Toshiro milled through the students and back into the snow strewn parking lot, weaving in between the cars before finally pausing on the outside of Hitsugaya's blue civic. Hinamori would be catching a ride back to Rangiku's with the strawberry blonde herself, so this was where she and Hitsugaya would be saying their goodbyes for the night. After a moment of silence Momo stepped forward, leaning into the other boys chest and allowing him to wrap his arms around her.

"Thank you for everything," she told him quietly, burying her face in his shoulder, enjoying his comforting smell of mint and pine. Hitsugaya smiled into her hair for a moment before pulling away, his teal eyes meeting her chocolate ones.

"Have fun tonight," he responded. "Stay out of trouble." Hinamori grinned, knowing it was hard to do any such thing when hanging out with Rangiku Matsumoto.

"I'll do my best," she responded. He snorted, shook his head at her, and turned back towards his car. Quick as a flash Momo stepped forward and grabbed his hand, turning the boy around and kissing him before he knew what had happened. Hitsugaya blinked, clearly surprised by the gesture, but wasted no time melting into the kiss, stringing his hands through her hair and pulling her closer. Hinamori didn't stop to think about the astonished stares they were probably receiving from other students due to the rather blunt display of affection, because for a moment the world consisted of her and Toshiro and absolutely nothing else mattered.

…

Rangiku rolled over in her sleeping back and fixed Momo with what had to be her thousandth grin of the night. Hinamori flushed, her lips folding into a familiar pout.

"Will you stop smiling at me like that!" she protested. "It's embarrassing!" Matsumoto snorted.

"I'd hardly say its any less embarrassing than you and Toshiro exchanging saliva like that in the middle of Ryouta's parking lot. You realize when you get back to school that everyone's going to be talking about his mysterious new girlfriend, right? Fan girls around the world are probably already trying to find your address so they can send you hate mail," she told her with a wink. Momo groaned and buried her face in her pillow. Rangiku cackled evilly.

"Of course they'll have a hard time doing that seeing how no one knows his mysterious girlfriend is actually his "male" (-she made quotation marks with her fingers-) roommate."

"As if my life wasn't complicated enough," Momo muttered, sticking her tongue out at the other girl in an act of clear maturity. Rangiku laughed, waving her hand dismissively.

"But that aside, what are you planning on getting him for his birthday?" she inquired. Momo blinked before sitting bolt upright, staring at Rangiku in horror.

"His _birthday?_ What-! When is it! Is it coming up!" she gasped. Matsumoto raised her eyebrows at her.

"Yeah, in a couple of days. He didn't tell you?" she inquired. Hinamori shook her head furiously.

"No, he didn't tell me anything! Ugh, I'm going to _kill_ him when I get back," she growled, finally returning her head to her pillow. Matsumoto laughed.

"Well in case he tries to deny it, his birthday's on the twentieth. You still have a couple of days to think of something," she told her encouragingly. Momo sighed and nodded, figuring that a birthday present couldn't be the most difficult thing she'd dealt with so far…could it?

…

**DONE! Woot I hope you guys are proud of me! This has to be a record for updating time yes? In any case I really enjoyed writing this chapter which might have something to do with the speed up the update. Hopefully you all enjoyed as well and I'm really looking forward to hearing your input! Love you all!**

**~Phoenix**


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